ALBERT

Description: Modern acidification by the uptake of anthropogenic CO2 can profoundly affect the physiology of marine organisms and the structure of ocean ecosystems. Centennial-scale global and regional influences of anthropogenic CO2 remain largely unknown due to limited instrumental pH records. Here we present coral boron isotope-inferred pH records for two periods from the South China Sea: AD 1048–1079 and AD 1838–2001. There are no significant pH differences between the first period at the Medieval Warm Period and AD 1830–1870. However, we find anomalous and unprecedented acidification during the 20th century, pacing the observed increase in atmospheric CO2. Moreover, pH value also varies in phase with inter-decadal changes in Asian Winter Monsoon intensity. As the level of atmospheric CO2 keeps rising, the coupling global warming via weakening the winter monsoon intensity could exacerbate acidification of the South China Sea and threaten this expansive shallow water marine ecosystem. Scientific Reports 4 doi: 10.1038/srep05148

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 2029: The Oakville Oil Refinery Closure and Its Influence on Local Hospitalizations: A Natural Experiment on Sulfur Dioxide International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15092029 Authors: Wesley S. Burr Robert Dales Ling Liu Dave Stieb Marc Smith-Doiron Branka Jovic Lisa Marie Kauri Hwashin Hyun Shin Background: An oil refinery in Oakville, Canada, closed over 2004–2005, providing an opportunity for a natural experiment to examine the effects on oil refinery-related air pollution and residents’ health. Methods: Environmental and health data were collected for the 16 years around the refinery closure. Toronto (2.5 million persons) and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA, 6.3 million persons) were used as control and reference populations, respectively, for Oakville (160,000 persons). We compared sulfur dioxide and age- and season-standardized hospitalizations, considering potential factors such as changes in demographics, socio-economics, drug prescriptions, and environmental variables. Results: The closure of the refinery eliminated 6000 tons/year of SO2 emissions, with an observed reduction of 20% in wind direction-adjusted ambient concentrations in Oakville. After accounting for trends, a decrease in cold-season peak-centered respiratory hospitalizations was observed for Oakville (reduction of 2.2 cases/1000 persons per year, p = 0.0006 ) but not in Toronto (p = 0.856) and the GTA (p = 0.334). The reduction of respiratory hospitalizations in Oakville post closure appeared to have no observed link to known confounders or effect modifiers. Conclusion: The refinery closure allowed an assessment of the change in community health. This natural experiment provides evidence that a reduction in emissions was associated with improvements in population health. This study design addresses the impact of a removed source of air pollution.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1566: Air Health Trend Indicator: Association between Short-Term Exposure to Ground Ozone and Circulatory Hospitalizations in Canada for 17 Years, 1996–2012 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081566 Authors: Hwashin Hyun Shin Wesley S. Burr Dave Stieb Lani Haque Harun Kalayci Branka Jovic Marc Smith-Doiron The Air Health Trend Indicator is designed to estimate the public health risk related to short-term exposure to air pollution and to detect trends in the annual health risks. Daily ozone, circulatory hospitalizations and weather data for 24 cities (about 54% of Canadians) for 17 years (1996–2012) were used. This study examined three circulatory causes: ischemic heart disease (IHD, 40% of cases), other heart disease (OHD, 31%) and cerebrovascular disease (CEV, 14%). A Bayesian hierarchical model using a 7-year estimator was employed to find trends in the annual national associations by season, lag of effect, sex and age group (≤65 vs. >65). Warm season 1-day lagged ozone returned higher national risk per 10 ppb: 0.4% (95% credible interval, −0.3–1.1%) for IHD, 0.4% (−0.2–1.0%) for OHD, and 0.2% (−0.8–1.2%) for CEV. Overall mixed trends in annual associations were observed for IHD and CEV, but a decreasing trend for OHD. While little age effect was identified, some sex-specific difference was detected, with males seemingly more vulnerable to ozone for CEV, although this finding needs further investigation. The study findings could reduce a knowledge gap by identifying trends in risk over time as well as sub-populations susceptible to ozone by age and sex.

Description: Enhancing laser-driven proton acceleration by using micro-pillar arrays at high drive energy Scientific Reports, Published online: 12 September 2017; doi:10.1038/s41598-017-11589-z

Description: This study presents the Swedish standard version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire, COPSOQ III, and investigates its reliability and validity at individual and workplace levels with the aim of establishing benchmarks for the psychosocial work environment. Cross-sectional data from (1) a random sample of employees in Sweden aged 25–65 years (N = 2847) and (2) a convenience sample of non-managerial employees at 51 workplaces (N = 1818) were analysed. Internal consistency reliability was evaluated as well as the effects of sex, work sector and blue/white-collar work. Population benchmarks and mean scores for major occupational groups were computed based on weighted data. ICC(1) and ICC(2) estimates were computed to evaluate aggregation to the workplace level and Pearson inter-correlations to evaluate construct validity at individual and aggregated levels. The reliability and scale characteristics were satisfactory, with few exceptions, at both individual and workplace levels. The strength and direction of correlations supported the construct validity of the dimensions and the amount of variance explained by workplace justified aggregation to the workplace level. The present study thus supports the use of COPSOQ III for measurement at the workplace level and presents benchmarks for risk management as well as for research purposes.

Description: Background: An oil refinery in Oakville, Canada, closed over 2004–2005, providing an opportunity for a natural experiment to examine the effects on oil refinery-related air pollution and residents’ health. Methods: Environmental and health data were collected for the 16 years around the refinery closure. Toronto (2.5 million persons) and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA, 6.3 million persons) were used as control and reference populations, respectively, for Oakville (160,000 persons). We compared sulfur dioxide and age- and season-standardized hospitalizations, considering potential factors such as changes in demographics, socio-economics, drug prescriptions, and environmental variables. Results: The closure of the refinery eliminated 6000 tons/year of SO2 emissions, with an observed reduction of 20% in wind direction-adjusted ambient concentrations in Oakville. After accounting for trends, a decrease in cold-season peak-centered respiratory hospitalizations was observed for Oakville (reduction of 2.2 cases/1000 persons per year, p = 0.0006 ) but not in Toronto (p = 0.856) and the GTA (p = 0.334). The reduction of respiratory hospitalizations in Oakville post closure appeared to have no observed link to known confounders or effect modifiers. Conclusion: The refinery closure allowed an assessment of the change in community health. This natural experiment provides evidence that a reduction in emissions was associated with improvements in population health. This study design addresses the impact of a removed source of air pollution.

Description: The Air Health Trend Indicator is designed to estimate the public health risk related to short-term exposure to air pollution and to detect trends in the annual health risks. Daily ozone, circulatory hospitalizations and weather data for 24 cities (about 54% of Canadians) for 17 years (1996–2012) were used. This study examined three circulatory causes: ischemic heart disease (IHD, 40% of cases), other heart disease (OHD, 31%) and cerebrovascular disease (CEV, 14%). A Bayesian hierarchical model using a 7-year estimator was employed to find trends in the annual national associations by season, lag of effect, sex and age group (≤65 vs. 〉65). Warm season 1-day lagged ozone returned higher national risk per 10 ppb: 0.4% (95% credible interval, −0.3–1.1%) for IHD, 0.4% (−0.2–1.0%) for OHD, and 0.2% (−0.8–1.2%) for CEV. Overall mixed trends in annual associations were observed for IHD and CEV, but a decreasing trend for OHD. While little age effect was identified, some sex-specific difference was detected, with males seemingly more vulnerable to ozone for CEV, although this finding needs further investigation. The study findings could reduce a knowledge gap by identifying trends in risk over time as well as sub-populations susceptible to ozone by age and sex.