Descriptive analysis of occupational accidents in Spain and their relationship with heatwaves.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this work is to carry out a descriptive analysis of occupational accidents and to evaluate the relationship between heatwaves and work accidents in Spain's three most populated provinces: Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia. METHODS: Daily data of work accidents (including for each case: gender, age, date, length of time in the position, type of work, place of accident and duration of medical leave) was collected. A heatwave was defined when daily mean temperatures above the threshold (95th percentile) of the climatological period (1990-2021) were recorded for at least three consecutive days. To estimate the association between daily workplace accidents and heatwave events, we applied a Generalized Additive Model combined with a Distributed Lag Non-linear Model with a quasi-Poisson distribution. RESULTS: The average annual accident rate was 33.2 work accidents/100,000 employees in Madrid, 35.8 work accidents/100,000 employees in Barcelona and 31.8 work accidents/100,000 employees in Valencia. The total accident rates followed a downward trend between 2005 and 2021. The difference in work accident rates between sex decreased over the studied period (p < 0.005). In the first month of work, the highest casualty rate occurs among construction workers in Madrid and Barcelona, and in primary sector workers in Valencia. Work accidents tend to increase during heatwaves. The highest risk was recorded when considering a cumulative lagged effect of 3 days in Madrid and Barcelona and 5 days in Valencia. CONCLUSIONS: Since work accidents increase during heatwaves, risk prevention services and public administrations must take special measures to prevent them.

Methodology to measure atmospheric nanoparticles charge.

Atmospheric pollution has become a key aspect for sustainable development world-wide. Lack of measurements of atmospheric nanoparticles properties at different geographic locations limits the understanding of the role atmospheric particulate matter plays in multiple biophysical and environmental processes and its corresponding risks for human beings. This study presents a method to measure atmospheric primary nanoparticle, secondary nanoparticle and microparticle data. Moreover, a process for samples characterization is proposed combining different spectroscopy techniques.•The method allows researcher to collect, measure, store and characterize atmospheric nanoparticles properties including their electric charge.•A specific sample characterization is proposed, based on different techniques such as TEM and RAMAN spectroscopy.•The outcomes of the approach give science the chance to study new themes such as the importance of particulate matter charge in transmission of infectious respiratory diseases; the role of electric charge in pollutants deposition in the respiratory tract; the link between electric atmospheric charge of nanoparticles and meteorological variables.

Noise Disturbance and Well-Being in the North of Spain.

Environmental noise is considered one of the main risks for physical and mental health and well-being, with a significant associated burden of disease in Europe. This work aims to explore the main sources of noise exposure at home and its effect on well-being in northern Spain. A transversal opinion study has been performed through a closed questionnaire. The questionnaire included three different parts: sociodemographic data, noise disturbance, and the 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5). A Binary Logistics Regression model was performed to analyze the relationship between noise exposure and well-being. Overall, 16.6% of the participants consider that the noise isolation of their homes is bad or very bad. The noise generated by the neighbors (air and impact noise) is considered the most disturbing indoor noise source, while street works are the most disturbing outdoor noise source in urban areas and road traffic is the most disturbing in rural areas. People who indicate that noise interferes with their life at home have a worse score on the WHO-5 (decreased perception of well-being). The exposure to outdoor noise (specifically the noise coming from the street and trains), internal impact noise produced by neighbors, and in general, the noise that wakes you up, is related to receiving a worse score in the WHO-5 (p < 0.05). Administrative bodies must ensure that laws regulating at-home noise levels, which are continually being updated with stricter restrictions, are enforced.

Electric charge of atmospheric nanoparticles and its potential implications with human health.

This research presents a pilot project developed within the framework of the COST Action 15,211 in which atmospheric nanoparticles were measured in July 2018, in a maritime environment in the city of Santander in Northern Spain. ELPI® + (Electrical Low-Pressure Impactor) was used to measure nanoparticle properties (electric charge, number, size distribution and surface area) from 6 nm to 10,000 nm with 14 size channels. This study focused on the range between 6 and 380 nm. It considered atmospheric nanoparticle electric charge with surface area, deposited and number by size distribution at human respiratory tract regions in a standard person in Santander according to the human respiratory tract model of ICRP 94. An empirical distribution of nanoparticles deposited in the human respiratory tract model and its electric charge is presented for the city of Santander as the main output. Percentages of total and regional deposition in human respiratory tract model were calculated for the Atlantic climate. Nanoparticles have shown an alveolar surface area deposition plateau with a size distribution range between 6 nm to 150 nm. Negative charge of nanoparticles was clearly associated with primary atmospheric nanoparticles being mainly deposited in the alveolar region where a Brownian mechanism of deposition is predominant. We can demonstrate that electric charge may be a key element in explaining Brownian deposition of the smallest particles in the human respiratory tract and that it can be linked to theoretical positive and negative impacts on human health according to several biometeorological studies. To support our analysis, aerosol samples were characterized with transmission electron microscopy and Confocal Raman spectrometer to determinate morphology, size, chemical composition, and structure. The toxicological effects of the samples with the alveolar surface area had a greater deposition, remain to be studied.

Exposure to particulate matter: Direct and indirect role in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Knowing the transmission factors and the natural environment that favor the spread of a viral infection is crucial to stop outbreaks and develop effective preventive strategies. This work aims to evaluate the role of Particulate Matter (PM) in the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing especially on that of PM as a vector for SARS-CoV-2. Exposure to PM has been related to new cases and to the clinical severity of people infected by SARS-CoV-2, which can be explained by the oxidative stress and the inflammatory response generated by these particles when entering the respiratory system, as well as by the role of PM in the expression of ACE-2 in respiratory cells in human hosts. In addition, different authors have detected SARS-CoV-2 RNA in PM sampled both in outdoor and indoor environments. The results of various studies lead to the hypothesis that the aerosols emitted by an infected person could be deposited in other suspended particles, sometimes of natural but especially of anthropogenic origin, that form the basal PM. However, the viability of the virus in PM has not yet been demonstrated. Should PM be confirmed as a vector of transmission, prevention strategies ought to be adapted, and PM sampling in outdoor environments could become an indicator of viral load in a specific area.

Effects of circulation weather types on influenza hospital admissions in Spain.

In this study, we use a statistical approach based on generalized additive models, linking atmospheric circulation and the number of influenza-related hospital admissions in the Spanish Iberian Peninsula during 2003-2013. The relative risks are estimated for administrative units in the Spanish territory, which is politically structured into 15 regions called autonomous communities. A catalog of atmospheric circulation types is defined for this purpose. The relationship between the exposure and response variables is modeled using a distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM). Types from southwest and anticyclonic are significant in terms of the probability of having more influenza-related hospital admissions for all of Spain. The heterogeneity of the results is very high. The relative risk is also estimated for each autonomous community and weather type, with the maximum number of influenza-related hospital admissions associated with circulation types from the southwest and the south. We identify six specific situations where relative risk is considered extreme and twelve with a high risk of increasing influenza-related hospital admissions. The rest of the situations present a moderate risk. Atmospheric local conditions become a key factor for understanding influenza spread in each spatial unit of the Peninsula. Further research is needed to understand how different weather variables (temperature, humidity, and sun radiation) interact and promote the spread of influenza.

Glossary on atmospheric electricity and its effects on biology.

There is an increasing interest to study the interactions between atmospheric electrical parameters and living organisms at multiple scales. So far, relatively few studies have been published that focus on possible biological effects of atmospheric electric and magnetic fields. To foster future work in this area of multidisciplinary research, here we present a glossary of relevant terms. Its main purpose is to facilitate the process of learning and communication among the different scientific disciplines working on this topic. While some definitions come from existing sources, other concepts have been re-defined to better reflect the existing and emerging scientific needs of this multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary area of research.

The role of magnetic fields in neurodegenerative diseases.

The term neurodegenerative diseases include a long list of diseases affecting the nervous system that are characterized by the degeneration of different neurological structures. Among them, Alzheimer disease (AD), Parkinson disease (PD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are the most representative ones. The vast majority of cases are sporadic and results from the interaction of genes and environmental factors in genetically predisposed individuals. Among environmental conditions, electromagnetic field exposure has begun to be assessed as a potential risk factor for neurodegeneration. In this review, we discuss the existing literature regarding electromagnetic fields and neurodegenerative diseases. Epidemiological studies in AD, PD, and ALS have shown discordant results; thus, a clear correlation between electromagnetic exposure and neurodegeneration has not been demonstrated. In addition, we discuss the role of electromagnetic radiation as a potential non-invasive therapeutic strategy for some neurodegenerative diseases, particularly for PD and AD.

Air pollution and occupational accidents in the Community of Madrid, Spain.

Spain is the EU member country with the third highest total number of accidents in work and has the third highest incidence rate. We have performed a descriptive analysis of occupational accidents in the Community of Madrid (Spain) between 2005 and 2013 to study the impact of air quality on the prevalence of occupational accidents, clarifying how vulnerable to air pollution outdoor workers are. In order to evaluate the association between each air pollutant and work accidents, a quasi-Poisson generalized additive model was fitted. The accident rate followed a downward and statistically significant trend (p = 0.001). The year with the highest accident rate was 2006, with 4981 occupational accidents per 100,000. Occupational accidents follow a temporary pattern (there are differences in the number of accidents according to the month of the year and to the day of the week). Exposure to PM10 and NO2 increases the risk of having an accident at work, especially for outdoor workers. An increase of 10 µg/m3 in daily concentration resulted in increases in accidents for outdoor workers of 2.5% for PM10 and 6.4% for NO2.

A web-based support system for biometeorological research.

Data are the fundamental building blocks to conduct scientific studies that seek to understand natural phenomena in space and time. The notion of data processing is ubiquitous and nearly operates in any project that requires gaining insight from the data. The increasing availability of information sources, data formats and download services offered to the users, makes it difficult to reuse or exploit the potential of those new resources in multiple scientific fields. In this paper, we present a spatial extract-transform-load (spatial-ETL) approach for downloading atmospheric datasets in order to produce new biometeorological indices and expose them publicly for reuse in research studies. The technologies and processes involved in our work are clearly defined in a context where the GDAL library and the Python programming language are key elements for the development and implementation of the geoprocessing tools. Since the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is the source of information, the ETL process is executed each time this service publishes an updated atmospheric prediction model, thus obtaining different forecasts for spatial and temporal analyses. As a result, we present a web application intended for downloading these newly created datasets after processing, and visualising interactive web maps with the outcomes resulting from a number of geoprocessing tasks. We also elaborate on all functions and technologies used for the design of those processes, with emphasis on the optimisation of the resources as implemented in cloud services.

Suicide and apparent temperature in the two capitals cities in the iberian peninsula.

Different authors have identified geographic variations in the rates of suicide. This study aims to discuss the limitations of the officially recorded suicide data and to evaluate the statistical relationship between a biometeorological index, Apparent Temperature (AT), and suicide in Madrid and Lisbon. We performed a time-series study. The association was analyzed using a quasi-Poisson regression model. To assess potential delayed and non-linear effects of AT on suicides, a lag non-linear model was fitted in a generalized additive model. There was an average rate of 3.30 suicides/100,000 inhabitants in Madrid and of 7.92 suicides/100,000 inhabitants in Lisbon, and a downward trend was found throughout the period. In Madrid, there is no statistically significant association between AT and suicide. However, in Lisbon, under higher AT, there was a higher risk of suicide. The highest accumulated statistically significant Relative Risk (RR) of suicide was detected at 7 days after the exposure, when at 38 °C, the risk of suicide is 2.7 times that existing at the median AT, 20.62°. The average mortality rate recorded in Lisbon was 41.6% higher than that registered in Madrid. However, the limitations of suicide record databases in Spain and Portugal have to be taken into account when analyzing incidence and especially when comparing data from different countries. It is necessary to improve the filing systems of violent deaths in order to perform reliable epidemiological studies.

Predictive value of three thermal comfort indices in low temperatures on cardiovascular morbidity in the Iberian peninsula.

The natural environment has been considered an important determinant of cardiovascular morbidity. This work seeks to assess the impact of the winter thermal environment on hospital admissions from diseases of the circulatory system by using three biometeorological indices in five regions of the Iberian Peninsula. A theoretical index based on a thermophysiological model (Universal Thermal Climate Index [UTCI]) and two experimental biometeorological ones (Net Effective Temperature [NET] and Apparent Temperature [AT]) were estimated in two metropolitan areas of Portugal (Porto and Lisbon) and in three provinces of Spain (Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia). Subsequently, their relationship with hospital admissions, adjusted by NO2 concentration, time, and day of the week, was analyzed using a Generalized Additive Model. As the estimation method, a semi-parametric quasi-Poisson regression was used. Around 53% of the hospitalizations occurred during the cold periods. The admissions rate followed an upward trend over the 9-year period in both capitals (Madrid and Lisbon) as well as in Barcelona. An inverse and statistically significant relationship was found between thermal comfort and hospital admissions in the five regions (p < 0.001). The highest relative risk (RR) was found after a cumulative 7-day exposure in Lisbon, where there was a 1.4% increase in hospital admissions for each NET and AT degree Celsius, and 1.0% for each UTCI degree Celsius. In conclusion, low air temperatures are a significant risk factor for hospital admissions from diseases of the circulatory system in the Iberian Peninsula, regardless of the index calculated.

Cocaine in Hospital Admissions for Diseases of the Circulatory System and as the Underlying Cause of Death: Analysis and Discussion.

Cocaine is a cardiotoxic drug which has been associated with morbi-mortality due to cardiovascular diseases (CVD). This study aims to: (1) analyze the hospitalizations due to cardiovascular processes and the presence of cocaine among the toxic habits of patients; and (2) discuss the forensic difficulties in sudden cardiac death (SCD) in the presence of cocaine. Hospital discharges due to CVD reporting cocaine consumption as a secondary diagnosis between 2003 and 2013 in Spain were analyzed. Subsequently, a review of judicial autopsies (SCD in cocaine users) was carried out to illustrate the forensic difficulties in the determination of the manner and underlying cause of death when cocaine use is involved. The average CVD morbidity rate was 1104.4 per 100,000 population. The most common main diagnoses of which cocaine use was recorded as a secondary diagnosis were rheumatic fever, ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease in male patients between 15 and 44 years. The cardiovascular findings in the autopsies of cocaine users vary, and determining the mechanism that triggered the death in forensic practice is a challenge. The presence of cocaine among the toxic habits of young patients admitted for CVD in Spain is increasing. In our opinion, criteria must be unified to establish the manner and underlying cause of death in SCD and toxicological analysis can be a key part in the process.

Schumann resonance and cardiovascular hospital admission in the area of Granada, Spain: An event coincidence analysis approach.

The study of bio-effects of Schumann resonances is a very complex issue. There is a need to identify mechanisms and pathways that explain how Extremely Low Frequency magnetic fields affect biology or human health. This particular study tries to identify statistical associations between ELF magnetic fields in the province of Granada (Spain) and cardiovascular related hospital admission in the same province for the period April, 1st 2013 to March, 31st 2014. Research is developed under an epidemiological approach based on an Event Coincidence Analysis statistical method. Clustered events, statistically significant (ECA shuffle-surrogate test p = .01 and p < .01), were found for the minimum values of the first and the third Schuman resonances frequency on east-west and north-south directions, and for the amplitude parameter of the second resonance and the total signal energy in the north-south direction. Empirical measurements of SR parameters were recorded at the Sierra Nevada Mountain in Granada province (Spain). Results show a clear coincidence of the events for the minima amplitudes of Shuman resonances and energy in the north-south orientation and the number of the cardiovascular related hospital admissions. Further research is needed with longer temporal series and a new approach based on gender seems to be also interesting for future studies.

Electrical characterization of circulation weather types in Northern Spain based on atmospheric nanoparticles measurements: A pilot study.

The electrical component of the atmosphere is a key element to understand bio-effects of atmospheric processes. In this paper an attempt was made to find possible interactions between air masses arriving in Santander, Northern Spain, and electrical properties of nanoparticles measured in this zone. A methodological approach is proposed to characterize electrically the predominant weather types in the study area. An electrical low pressure impactor device (ELPI®+) was used to measure atmospheric particles net charge and particle net charge distribution in real time in July 2018, among other parameters. Data from two specific channels [0.054-0.071 µm] and [2.5-3.0 µm] has been initially used. Atmospheric circulation was defined attending to two, subjective and objective, weather type classifications. Back trajectories of nanoparticles were also computed by the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory model. Results confirm that atmospheric nanoparticles charge varies according to their size. The highest mean absolute charge is associated with local circulation in Santander for both channels. The studied nanoparticles show a quicker reaction to weather conditions than microparticles. They also have a significant correlation with meteorological variables for 18 synoptic groups found, but humidity. Microparticles [2.5-3.0 µm] are negatively related with air humidity, mainly with S-SE circulation pattern.

Papel de la temperatura aparente y de los contaminantes atmosféricos en los ingresos por infarto agudo de miocardio en el norte de España / Role of apparent temperature and air pollutants in hospital admissions for acute myocardial infarction in the North of Spain

Introducción y objetivos: El papel del entorno en la salud cardiovascular ha ganado protagonismo en el contexto del cambio global. Este trabajo persigue analizar la relación de la temperatura aparente (TA) y los contaminantes atmosféricos con los ingresos por infarto agudo de miocardio (IAM) y realizar un análisis temporal de la enfermedad y la mortalidad asociada. Métodos: Se desarrolló un estudio de serie temporal de los ingresos por IAM en Cantabria entre 2001 y 2015. La asociación entre las variables ambientales (entre ellas, se estimó un índice biometeorológico, la TA) y los ingresos por IAM se analizó mediante una regresión de cuasi-Poisson, y se creó un modelo no lineal de retardo distribuido dentro de un modelo generalizado aditivo, con el fin de atender el efecto retardado y la presencia de relaciones no lineales de las variables ambientales. Resultados: La tasa de incidencia y la mortalidad por IAM siguieron una tendencia descendente durante el periodo de estudio (CC=-0,714; p=0,0002). Los ingresos por IAM tenían un patrón anual con máximos en invierno (p=0,005); había diferencias intrasemanales, y los mínimos se registraron durante el fin de semana (p=0,000005). Se encontró una asociación inversa entre la TA y el número de ingresos por IAM y una relación directa y estadísticamente significativa con las concentraciones de partículas de diámetro<10 μm en la atmósfera. Conclusiones: Hay una tendencia descendente en los IAM en el periodo 2007-2015. La mortalidad asociada con los ingresos por este diagnóstico se ha reducido. La TA y las partículas de diámetro <10 μm en la atmósfera son factores predictores de esta enfermedad

Introduction and objectives: The role of the environment on cardiovascular health is becoming more prominent in the context of global change. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between apparent temperature (AT) and air pollutants and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and to study the temporal pattern of this disease and its associated mortality. Methods: We performed a time-series study of admissions for AMI in Cantabria between 2001 and 2015. The association between environmental variables (including a biometeorological index, AT) and AMI was analyzed using a quasi-Poisson regression model. To assess potential delayed and non-linear effects of these variables on AMI, a lag non-linear model was fitted in a generalized additive model. Results: The incidence rate and the mortality followed a downward trend during the study period (CC=-0.714; P=.0002). An annual pattern was found in hospital admissions (P=.005), with the highest values being registered in winter; a weekly trend was also identified, reaching a minimum during the weekends (P=.000005). There was an inverse association between AT and the number of hospital admissions due to AMI and a direct association with particulate matter with a diameter smaller than 10 μm. Conclusions: Hospital admissions for AMI followed a downward trend between 2007 and 2015. Mortality associated with admissions due to this diagnosis has decreased. Predictive factors for this disease were AT and particulate matter with a diameter smaller than 10 μm

Role of Apparent Temperature and Air Pollutants in Hospital Admissions for Acute Myocardial Infarction in the North of Spain.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The role of the environment on cardiovascular health is becoming more prominent in the context of global change. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between apparent temperature (AT) and air pollutants and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and to study the temporal pattern of this disease and its associated mortality. METHODS: We performed a time-series study of admissions for AMI in Cantabria between 2001 and 2015. The association between environmental variables (including a biometeorological index, AT) and AMI was analyzed using a quasi-Poisson regression model. To assess potential delayed and non-linear effects of these variables on AMI, a lag non-linear model was fitted in a generalized additive model. RESULTS: The incidence rate and the mortality followed a downward trend during the study period (CC=-0.714; P=.0002). An annual pattern was found in hospital admissions (P=.005), with the highest values being registered in winter; a weekly trend was also identified, reaching a minimum during the weekends (P=.000005). There was an inverse association between AT and the number of hospital admissions due to AMI and a direct association with particulate matter with a diameter smaller than 10 µm. CONCLUSIONS: Hospital admissions for AMI followed a downward trend between 2007 and 2015. Mortality associated with admissions due to this diagnosis has decreased. Predictive factors for this disease were AT and particulate matter with a diameter smaller than 10 µm.

Kawasaki disease in Spanish paediatric population and synoptic weather types: an observational study.

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a vasculitis of unelucidated pathogenesis that usually occurs in paediatric patients. In this study we analyse the temporal pattern and geographical distribution of the disease in Spain, and its relationship with atmospheric circulation patterns. We performed a retrospective study in which we collected all hospital admissions due to KD in the country between 2005 and 2015 and explored their relationship with demographic and geographical characteristics. Moreover, we calculated daily surface atmospheric patterns over Spain to study the relationship between weather types (WT) and KD Admissions. The average admission rate for KD in the paediatric population was 3.90 per 100,000, with a male to female ratio of 1.56:1. The highest rate of admissions was found in the 0-4-year-old group, with an incidence of 11.7 cases per 100,000. Admissions followed an annual cyclic pattern with a peak of incidence in January (p = 0.022) and a nadir in September. There was an upwards trend in the number of KD admissions in male sex during the study period (p = 0.004). However, there were marked geographical differences in the incidence rate. Finally, the analysis of the relationship between the WT and the number of admissions by KD revealed no statistically significant association. KD admissions follow a peculiar seasonal and spatial distribution, that suggest the involvement of environmental factors in the disease; however, the absence of an association with WT should be interpreted with caution and regional studies should be done to explore this relationship.

Integrating and analyzing medical and environmental data using ETL and Business Intelligence tools.

Processing data that originates from different sources (such as environmental and medical data) can prove to be a difficult task, due to the heterogeneity of variables, storage systems, and file formats that can be used. Moreover, once the amount of data reaches a certain threshold, conventional mining methods (based on spreadsheets or statistical software) become cumbersome or even impossible to apply. Data Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL) solutions provide a framework to normalize and integrate heterogeneous data into a local data store. Additionally, the application of Online Analytical Processing (OLAP), a set of Business Intelligence (BI) methodologies and practices for multidimensional data analysis, can be an invaluable tool for its examination and mining. In this article, we describe a solution based on an ETL + OLAP tandem used for the on-the-fly analysis of tens of millions of individual medical, meteorological, and air quality observations from 16 provinces in Spain provided by 20 different national and regional entities in a diverse array for file types and formats, with the intention of evaluating the effect of several environmental variables on human health in future studies. Our work shows how a sizable amount of data, spread across a wide range of file formats and structures, and originating from a number of different sources belonging to various business domains, can be integrated in a single system that researchers can use for global data analysis and mining.

Digital divide, biometeorological data infrastructures and human vulnerability definition.

The design and implementation of any climate-related health service, nowadays, imply avoiding the digital divide as it means having access and being able to use complex technological devices, massive meteorological data, user's geographic location and biophysical information. This article presents the co-creation, in detail, of a biometeorological data infrastructure, which is a complex platform formed by multiple components: a mainframe, a biometeorological model called Pronbiomet, a relational database management system, data procedures, communication protocols, different software packages, users, datasets and a mobile application. The system produces four daily world maps of the partial density of the atmospheric oxygen and collects user feedback on their health condition. The infrastructure is shown to be a useful tool to delineate individual vulnerability to meteorological changes as one key factor in the definition of any biometeorological risk. This technological approach to study weather-related health impacts is the initial seed for the definition of biometeorological profiles of persons, and for the future development of customized climate services for users in the near future.