Insulation of traditional Indian clothing: estimation of climate change impact on productivity from PHS (predicted heat strain) model

Major databases on western clothing and their thermal properties are available, but information on non-western clothing is lacking. A recent ASHRAE project 1504 TRP, Extension of the Clothing Insulation Database for Standard 55 and ISO 7730 dealt with the issue. Simultaneously, a co-operation study at Indian workplaces allowed us to acquire some sets of the traditional clothes used at construction sites in Chennai area. The work was related to mapping of present work conditions in order to allow predictions and measures to be taken if the mean temperature of the work environment would rise. We selected ISO 7933 on predicted heat strain (PHS) as a tool to estimate productivity loss in physical work. PHS criteria are related to reaching safe body core temperature limit of 38 °C or excess water loss. 3 sets of clothing were investigated: 2 female sets of traditional clothes (churidar and saree) modified as used at construction site (added shirt and towel to protect traditional clothes and hair), and a male set commonly used at the construction sites. The clothing insulation and evaporative resistance were measured on thermal manikins. The climatic conditions were based on weather statistics, and metabolic heat production was based on field observations at work places and the ISO 8996:2004 tables (Ergonomics of the thermal environment — Determination of metabolic rate). For the future scenarios all basic parameters were left the same except the air temperature was increased by 2 °C. Adding the protective layer on female clothing did increase clothing insulation by 25-31 % and evaporative resistance by 10-18 % respectively. This affected the performance showing lower capacity to maintain work pace already under present climatic conditions. Further increase in mean air temperature may decrease the productivity by 30-80 % depending on the parameter that is observed (limited exposure time or lower work load), and on the earlier capacity to carry out the tasks. The present evaluation may have several limitations related to the PHS model's boundaries, and validation of the presented method application is needed

Extremvärme ett ökande problem för globala folkhälsan : Klimatförändringarnas negativa hälsoeffekter drabbar även Sverige

High temperatures have a direct impact on body functions. Heat waves increase mortality risks due to myocardial infarction, stroke, and pulmonary disease. Cold temperatures also increase mortality, but with a longer latency. A recent study found only a small difference between the minimal mortality temperature (MMT) and the temperatures at which mortality rose steeply, although the majority of deaths occurred at temperatures below MMT. Global climate change with increasing temperatures seriously threatens health, work capacity, and generation of household incomes, particularly among poor people in hot countries. In Sweden, heat waves increase mortality in vulnerable groups of elderly people and patients with chronic heart and lung diseases, as well as those performing intensive physical work in hot environments. The medical profession can play an important role not only in prevention of climate change, but also in adaptation to climate change with the goal of minimizing health risks

Impact of Climate Conditions on Occupational Health and Related Economic Losses: A New Feature of Global and Urban Health in the Context of Climate Change.

One feature of climate change is the increasing heat exposure in many workplaces where efficient cooling systems cannot be applied. Excessive heat exposure is a particular problem for working people because of the internal heat production when muscle work is carried out. The physiological basis for severe heat stroke, other clinical effects, and heat exhaustion is well known. One feature of this health effect of excessive workplace heat exposure is reduced work capacity, and new research has started to quantify this effect in the context of climate change. Current climate conditions in tropical and subtropical parts of the world are already so hot during the hot seasons that occupational health effects occur and work capacity for many working people is affected. The Hothaps-Soft database and software and ClimateCHIP.org website make it possible to rapidly produce estimates of local heat conditions and trends. The results can be mapped to depict the spatial distribution of workplace heat stress. In South-East Asia as much as 15% to 20% of annual work hours may already be lost in heat-exposed jobs, and this may double by 2050 as global climate change progresses. By combining heat exposure data and estimates of the economic consequences, the vulnerability of many low- and middle-income countries is evident. The annual cost of reduced labor productivity at country level already in 2030 can be several percent of GDP, which means billions of US dollars even for medium-size countries. The results provide new arguments for effective climate change adaptation and mitigation policies and preventive actions in all countries

Good for your heart but bad for your baby?

Headlines such as “Mercury warning for children, pregnant women” and “Danger of too much fish” appeared in March throughout Australian newspapers. The media blitz was triggered by the release of revised advice from Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) on health risks associated with consuming fish with high methylmercury (MeHg) content (Box).1The warnings come after a Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations/World Health Organization Expert Committee halved the “provisional tolerable weekly intake” of MeHg in pregnancy from 3.3 µg to 1.6 µg per kilogram bodyweight to protect fetal development..

Sustainability Challenges from Climate Change and Air Conditioning Use in Urban Areas

Global climate change increases heat loads in urban areas causing health and productivity risks for millions of people. Inhabitants in tropical and subtropical urban areas are at especial risk due to high population density, already high temperatures, and temperature increases due to climate change. Air conditioning is growing rapidly, especially in South and South-East Asia due to income growth and the need to protect from high heat exposures. Studies have linked increased total hourly electricity use to outdoor temperatures and humidity; modeled future predictions when facing additional heat due to climate change, related air conditioning with increased street level heat and estimated future air conditioning use in major urban areas. However, global and localized studies linking climate variables with air conditioning alone are lacking. More research and detailed data is needed looking at the effects of increasing air conditioning use, electricity consumption, climate change and interactions with the urban heat island effect. Climate change mitigation, for example using renewable energy sources, particularly photovoltaic electricity generation, to power air conditioning, and other sustainable methods to reduce heat exposure are needed to make future urban areas more climate resilient

Climate change threats to population health and well-being : the imperative of protective solutions that will last

Background: The observational evidence of the impacts of climate conditions on human health is accumulating. A variety of direct, indirect, and systemically mediated health effects have been identified. Excessive daily heat exposures create direct effects, such as heat stroke (and possibly death), reduce work productivity, and interfere with daily household activities. Extreme weather events, including storms, floods, and droughts, create direct injury risks and follow-on outbreaks of infectious diseases, lack of nutrition, and mental stress. Climate change will increase these direct health effects. Indirect effects include malnutrition and under-nutrition due to failing local agriculture, spread of vector-borne diseases and other infectious diseases, and mental health and other problems caused by forced migration from affected homes and workplaces. Examples of systemically mediated impacts on population health include famine, conflicts, and the consequences of large-scale adverse economic effects due to reduced human and environmental productivity. This article highlights links between climate change and non-communicable health problems, a major concern for global health beyond 2015. Discussion: Detailed regional analysis of climate conditions clearly shows increasing temperatures in many parts of the world. Climate modelling indicates that by the year 2100 the global average temperature may have increased by 3-4 degrees C unless fundamental reductions in current global trends for greenhouse gas emissions are achieved. Given other unforeseeable environmental, social, demographic, and geopolitical changes that may occur in a plus-4-degree world, that scenario may comprise a largely uninhabitable world for millions of people and great social and military tensions. Conclusion: It is imperative that we identify actions and strategies that are effective in reducing these increasingly likely threats to health and well-being. The fundamental preventive strategy is, of course, climate change mitigation by significantly reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, especially long-acting carbon dioxide (CO2), and by increasing the uptake of CO2 at the earth's surface. This involves urgent shifts in energy production from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, energy conservation in building design and urban planning, and reduced waste of energy for transport, building heating/cooling, and agriculture. It would also involve shifts in agricultural production and food systems to reduce energy and water use particularly in meat production. There is also potential for prevention via mitigation, adaptation, or resilience building actions, but for the large populations in tropical countries, mitigation of climate change is required to achieve health protection solutions that will last.Funding was provided from research funds at Umea University and Australian National University.</p