Transcript 10 MB - arcus

Arctic Health and a Changing Physical
Environment: New Perspectives on
Increased UVB, Ozone Depletion and
Increased Warming
Edward C. De Fabo, PhD
Department of Environmental & Occupational
Health
The George Washington University
Washington, DC. 20037
GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE:
GLOBAL WARMING + STRATOSPHERIC
OZONE DEPLETION
Health Impacts on Arctic
Populations
• The nature of climate related changes and
variability will most likely impact
populations living in close association with
the land
• In remote communities
• In communities already facing healthrelated challenges.
Health Impacts on Arctic
Populations-continued
• Direct health impacts may result from
changes in the incidence of extreme
events such as
– Avalanches
– Storms
– Floods
– Rockslides
Health Impacts on Arctic
Populations-continued
Potential Negative Effects
- Increased summer heat stress
- Accidents associated with unpredictable
ice and weather conditions
- Increased mental and social stress
related to changes in the environment &
life-style
Health Impacts on Arctic
Populations-continued
– Changes in bacterial and viral proliferation
– Changes in vector-borne disease
outbreaks
– Changes in access to good quality
drinking water sources
Health Impacts on Arctic
Populations-continued
Some regions may experience:
- Changes in the rates of illness resulting from
impacts on sanitation infrastructure
- Changes in food security through changes in
animal distribution and accessibility leading
to changes in diet
- Changes in traditional diet may cause a shift
to a more “western” diet and an associated
risk of diabetes, cancer and heart disease.
Health Impacts on Arctic
Populations-continued
Potential Positive Effects
– Reduction in cold-induced injuries e.g.
frostbite and hypothermia
– Reduction in cold stress.
– Possible reduction in number of winter deaths
Chapter 15
Human Health
Lead Authors:
Jim Berner, Christopher
Furgal
Contributing Authors:
Peter Bjerregaard, Mike
Bradley, Tina Curtis,
Edward De Fabo, Juhani
Hassi, William Keatinge, Siv
Kvernmo, Simo Nayha,
Hannu Rintamaki, John
Warren
State of the Arctic-NOAA
Report
October 2006
State of the Arctic-NOAA
October 2006
• Observations… highlighted…the sensitivity and complexity of
the Arctic physical environment.
• Recommends “ … to maintain and expand … a coordinated
Arctic observation network, … (e.g., ACIA, 2004, 2005;
SEARCH, 2001, 2005; DAMOCLES, 2005).
• Recommends long-term monitoring of key parameters…to
enable the development of more accurate models and
predictions of its future state.
• “The incentive for supporting …these advancements is high,
The potential impacts of environmental changes on
human systems are characterized by focusing on three
core areas of impact and adaptation
• Human health
• Human welfare
• Human settlements
SIX CATEGORIES OF HEALTH
STRESSORS:
• Extreme heat and cold
• Extreme weather events (e.g. storms and
floods)
• Air pollution health effects
• Water- and food-borne diseases
• Vector- and rodent-borne diseases
• Increase in UV-B radiation
Climate change could cause changes in
the incidence of infectious diseases in
Arctic regions
• Temperature could increase sensitive foodborne diseases such as
– gastroenteritis,
– paralytic shellfish poisoning and
– botulism.
• Zoonoses: Incidence of animal to human diseases by
– changing the population and range of animal hosts and insect
vectors.
• Flooding events may result in outbreaks of waterborne infection,
such as
– Giardia lamblia or
– Cryptospordium parvum.
•
Modified from Parkinson and Butler, Int J Circumpolar Health. 2005 Dec;64(5):478-86.Links
Climate change could cause changes in
the incidence of infectious diseases in
Arctic regions-continued
•A change in rodent and fox populations may result in
an increase in
-rabies or
-echinococcosis.
•Temperature and humidity influence the
distribution and density of
many arthropod vectors which in turn may
influence the incidence and northern range of
vector borne diseases such as West Nile virus.
In 6 days (3-9 Sept. 2007) 69 000 sq mi
melted in the Arctic
2007 has already broken the
record for the lowest amount of
sea ice ever recorded, say
scientists, smashing the old
record set in 2005.
Courtesy ABC News)
Sea Ice Loss 2007
1979 to 2000
Modified from James Overland et al, 2008.
NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Seattle,
Wash.
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2008/images/5-608_Overland.pdf
Extreme Weather and Infectious Diseases
Flooding
Damage to sanitation
infrastructure
Outbreaks of water and food
borne diseases cholera,
Enteric diseases, hepatitis
A, vector borne diseases
Modified from Alan J. Parkinson Ph.D
Arctic Investigations Program
Centers for Diseases Control & Prevention
Anchorage, Alaska
Climate Change and Infectious Diseases
Increase in insect
and rodent
vectors
-Malaria, dengue,
yellow fever,
hantavirus
syndrome, Lyme
disease
Alan J. Parkinson Ph.D Arctic Investigations Program Centers for Diseases
Control & PreventionAnchorage, Alaska
MALARIA: anopheles
YELLOW FEVER-Aedes aegypti
DENGUE FEVER-Aedes aegypti
DISTRIBUTION OF DENGUE
FEVER VIRUS
Human West Nile Virus Clinical Cases in Canada,
2007
STRATOSPHERIC OZONE
DEPLETION and INCREASED
UV-B RADIATION
Decrease in Antarctic Ozone
ANTARCTIC OZONE HOLE-2006. courtesy NASA.
Area that will be affected by formation of Arctic Ozone Hole is above the
redline if similar in size to Antarctic hole.
ULTRAVIOLET RANGES
ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM
Terrestrial
Sunlight
UVC
UVB
UVA UVA
II
I
Visible
600
500
400
300
200
Wavelength (nm)
UVB = 320 nm - 280 nm
UVA = 320 nm - 400 nm
UVC = < 280 nm
THERE IS LITTLE DOUBT THAT STRATOSPHERIC OZONE OVER THE
ARCTIC AND SUB-ARCTIC IS DECLINING