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Air pollution within legal limits may increase risk of early death
March 29, 2017 – Current limits on fine particulate matter in the air set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may not be sufficient to protect elderly people from the risk of premature death from air pollution,…
Climate change may reverse gains in child survival
Children are especially vulnerable to the consequences of climate change—including reductions in the nutritional quality of staple crops, increases in asthma and heart disease due to air pollution, and the expanded geographical range of insects that carry disease.…
Firefighters’ workplace cancer risk explored
Researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute are taking a new approach to studying cancer risk among firefighters. They have partnered with the Boston Fire Department to conduct a novel exposure assessment…
Putting a human face on climate change
December 22, 2016 – Focusing on the potential health impacts of climate change—such as malnutrition, an increase in infectious and chronic diseases, and more deaths from heat waves and cold snaps—may be the best way to communicate its dangers, according…
Declining mercury levels in tuna a positive development
Elsie Sunderland, associate professor of environmental science and engineering in the Department of Environmental Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, was quoted in a November 30, 2016 Bloomberg article about a reported decline in mercury…
Climate talks should consider ‘immediate’ health burden of air pollution
Air pollution is not only causing long-term damage to the planet and human health, but it is already killing millions of people worldwide. In an editorial published November 14, 2016 in STAT, David Hunter, Vincent L. Gregory Professor…
Many electronic recycling companies put workers, environment at risk
Companies need to better protect workers and the environment from exposure to heavy metals and toxic chemicals generated during the recycling of electronics such as computers, printers, TVs, cameras, and batteries, according to Harvard T.H. Chan School of…
Agricultural fires in Southeast Asia linked to 100,000 premature deaths
A series of fires in Indonesia in 2015 to clear land for agriculture caused an estimated 100,000 premature deaths in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.
Can ‘green’ offices sharpen productivity?
People who work in “green” offices that are well-ventilated and have low levels of indoor pollutants and carbon dioxide may have significantly better cognitive function than people working in more traditional office environments, according to a recent study…
‘Smoke waves’ will affect millions in coming decades
Researchers identify western US counties with the highest risk of exposure to pollution from wildfires August 16, 2016—Wildfires threaten more than land and homes. The smoke they produce contains fine particles (PM2.5) that can poison the air for…
