Monday, June 24, 2024

 KOREAN AIR POLLUTION STUDY

Study forecasts 110,000 premature deaths by 2050 due to PM2.5 and aging




POHANG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (POSTECH)

Graph depicting projected premature deaths from PM2.5 (2020-2050) across different concentration scenarios 

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GRAPH DEPICTING PROJECTED PREMATURE DEATHS FROM PM2.5 (2020-2050) ACROSS DIFFERENT CONCENTRATION SCENARIOS

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CREDIT: POSTECH





A new study from the Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) indicates that fine particulate matter, which is less than 2.5 µm in diameter (PM2.5), is increasingly impacting the rapidly aging Korean population. Due to this population aging, PM2.5-related premature deaths are projected to be more than three times higher by 2050 than they are today if PM2.5 exposure persists.

 

A research team of Professor Hyung Joo Lee and MSc student Na Rae Kim from the Division of Environmental Science and Engineering at POSTECH has projected the number of deaths by 2050 based on the combined effects of PM2.5 and the aging population. They also suggested the concentration of PM2.5 needed to maintain the current PM2.5-related health burden. The study was recently published in the online edition of “Environmental Research”, an international journal in the environmental field.

 

Particles come in various categories based on their size, including total suspended particles (TSP), PM10, and PM2.5. Among these, PM2.5, the smallest particles, can penetrate deep into the lungs and contribute to a range of health issues. The elderly, those aged 65 and above, are particularly susceptible. As Korea's population ages rapidly, researchers anticipate a growing health burden.

 

Professor Hyung Joo Lee’s team initially calculated the average concentration of PM2.5 over a three-year span using data from 2019 to 2021. They incorporated data from both pre- and post-pandemic periods to ensure an accurate assessment of PM2.5's impact, mitigating substantial pandemic-related effects. From 2019 to 2021, the average PM2.5 concentration in Korea stood at approximately 20 µg/m³, surpassing the Ministry of Environment's annual air quality standard of 15 µg/m³ and significantly exceeding the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended level of 5 µg/m³. Additionally, the team utilized projected population data, revealing a surge in the elderly population from 16 percent in 2020 to an estimated 40 percent by 2050.

 

Based on these findings, the team constructed scenarios to forecast mortality attributable to PM2.5. Their analysis revealed that if concentrations of PM2.5 persist at the average level of 20 µg/m³ observed over the past three years, the projected number of deaths by 2050 could soar to approximately 110,000, more than tripling the 34,000 deaths in 2020. Even if PM2.5 concentrations were reduced to the Ministry of Environment's annual standard of 15 µg/m³, an estimated 84,000 deaths would still occur by 2050.

 

Further investigation by the team concluded that reducing PM2.5 concentrations to approximately 6 µg/m³ would be necessary to maintain the mortality levels of 2020 by 2050. Despite an overall decline in population, the proportion of older individuals, who are particularly susceptible to PM2.5, is expanding rapidly. Consequently, in order to mitigate the death toll and public health burden, reductions in PM2.5 concentrations would need to significantly surpass current policy measures.

 

Professor Hyung Joo Lee of POSTECH remarked, “With rapidly aging populations, the number of people vulnerable to PM2.5-related health outcomes is increasing, and as a result, PM2.5 is posing a significant threat to public health.” He added, “To sustain the current PM2.5 health burdens by 2050, we must reduce PM2.5 concentrations to approximately 40% of the annual standard." He emphasized, “Though achieving these reductions may prove challenging in the short term, it's crucial to urgently ramp up efforts to combat PM2.5 with more stringent regulatory actions than are currently in practice.”

 

The research was conducted with the support from the Ministry of Environment, the National Research Foundation of Korea, and the Ministry of Science and ICT.

 

Surge in fatal opioid overdoses in Ontario shelters, report finds




INSTITUTE FOR CLINICAL EVALUATIVE SCIENCES





Researchers from the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network (ODPRN) at St. Michael’s Hospital and Public Health Ontario analyzed health data from the Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario and ICES, and found that there were 210 accidental opioid-related toxicity deaths within shelters between January 2018 to May 2022, with the number of deaths more than tripling during the study period (48 before the pandemic versus 162 during the pandemic). 

Statistics Canada data shows that the annual number of emergency beds in Ontario grew by only 15% (6,764 to 7,767) between 2018 and 2022. 

“People who use Ontario’s shelter system are not only facing housing instability, but also have complex healthcare needs and unique barriers to accessing treatment and harm reduction programs,” says lead author Bisola Hamzat, an epidemiologist with the ODPRN. “This report underscores the disproportionate impact of the opioid crisis on this population.” 

Trends in shelters differed from rest of Ontario 

When exploring the circumstances surrounding the overdose and death, the data showed that someone was present and able to intervene for only 1 in 10 opioid-related toxicity deaths within shelters, which is lower than in Ontario overall (approximately 1 in 4). However, naloxone was administered most of the time when someone could intervene within shelters. 

In the week before death, nearly half of people who died within a shelter had contact with the healthcare system, and in the five years prior to death, almost 80% had a hospital visit related for a mental health diagnosis, which is much higher than 56% of people in Ontario overall. 

Several factors remained consistent with the rest of Ontario, including the rise of multiple substances contributing to death (such as benzodiazepines and stimulants), a greater tendency toward smoking and inhalation of drugs, and fentanyl from the unregulated drug supply being the most common driver of deaths. 

In a secondary analysis of hotels and motels, the researchers found that opioid-related overdose deaths followed similar patterns to those in shelters but began to decline toward the end of the study period in 2022. The researchers say that the rise in deaths was likely influenced by the rapid expansion of temporary hotel-based shelters early in the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Urgent need for improved response to crisis 

“Our report highlights the need for improved and expanded harm reduction approaches, overdose response, as well as staff training and supports within shelters,” says co-lead author Tara Gomes, a scientist at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital and ICES, and a principal investigator of the ODPRN.  

“Additionally, improved connection to community-based healthcare, treatment programs, and mental health supports are needed for people experiencing homelessness and housing instability, in combination with efforts to address upstream factors such as more accessible housing, income and employment supports, and community-based social supports across the province.” 

“The report highlights what we have witnessed the last few years in Timmins. It demonstrates the need for comprehensive support across the spectrum of care for unhoused community members, and of the importance of shelter design and management to ensure services are accessible and safe for people who use drugs. An increase in deaths in the Timmins shelter system over the past two years serves as a stark reminder of this importance,” says Jason Sereda, President, Board of Directors: DIY Community Health Timmins. 

The report, “Opioid-related toxicity deaths within Ontario shelters: circumstances of death and prior medication & healthcare use” was published on the ODPRN website

About St. Michael’s 

St. Michael’s Hospital provides compassionate care to all who enter its doors. The hospital also provides outstanding medical education to future health care professionals in more than 27 academic disciplines. Critical care and trauma, heart disease, neurosurgery, diabetes, cancer care, care of the homeless and global health are among the Hospital’s recognized areas of expertise. Through the Keenan Research Centre and the Li Ka Shing International Healthcare Education Centre, which make up the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, research and education at St. Michael’s Hospital are recognized and make an impact around the world. Founded in 1892, the hospital is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto. 

 

About the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network 

Established in 2008, the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network (ODPRN) is a research program based out of St. Michael’s Hospital that brings together researchers, people with lived experience, clinicians, and policy-makers to generate evidence to inform effective drug policy development in Ontario. 
 
About Unity Health Toronto 

Unity Health Toronto, comprised of Providence Healthcare, St. Joseph’s Health Centre and St. Michael’s Hospital, works to advance the health of everyone in our urban communities and beyond. Our health network serves patients, residents and clients across the full spectrum of care, spanning primary care, secondary community care, tertiary and quaternary care services to post-acute through rehabilitation, palliative care and long-term care, while investing in world-class research and education. 

 

About Public Heath Ontario 

Public Health Ontario is a Crown corporation dedicated to protecting and promoting the health of all Ontarians and reducing inequities in health. Public Health Ontario links public health practitioners, front-line health workers and researchers to the best scientific intelligence and knowledge from around the world. For the latest PHO news, follow us on Twitter: @publichealthON

 

About ICES 

ICES is an independent, not-for-profit research and analytics institute that uses population-based health information to produce knowledge on a broad range of healthcare issues. ICES leads cutting-edge studies and analyses evaluating healthcare policy, delivery, and population outcomes. ICES knowledge is highly regarded in Canada and abroad and is widely used by government, hospitals, planners, and practitioners to make decisions about healthcare delivery and to develop policy. For the latest ICES news, follow us on X, formerly Twitter: @ICESOntario 

 

SPACE

First of its kind detection made in striking new Webb image



NASA/GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER
Serpens Nebula (NIRCam) 

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IN THIS IMAGE OF THE SERPENS NEBULA FROM NASA’S JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE, ASTRONOMERS FOUND A GROUPING OF ALIGNED PROTOSTELLAR OUTFLOWS WITHIN ONE SMALL REGION (THE TOP LEFT CORNER). SERPENS IS A REFLECTION NEBULA, WHICH MEANS IT’S A CLOUD OF GAS AND DUST THAT DOES NOT CREATE ITS OWN LIGHT, BUT INSTEAD SHINES BY REFLECTING THE LIGHT FROM STARS CLOSE TO OR WITHIN THE NEBULA.

 

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CREDIT: NASA, ESA, CSA, K. PONTOPPIDAN (NASA’S JET PROPULSION LABORATORY) AND J. GREEN (SPACE TELESCOPE SCIENCE INSTITUTE).




For the first time, a phenomenon astronomers have long hoped to directly image has been captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam). In this stunning image of the Serpens Nebula, the discovery lies in the northern area (seen at the upper left) of this young, nearby star-forming region.

Astronomers found an intriguing group of protostellar outflows, formed when jets of gas spewing from newborn stars collide with nearby gas and dust at high speeds. Typically these objects have varied orientations within one region. Here, however, they are slanted in the same direction, to the same degree, like sleet pouring down during a storm.

 

The discovery of these aligned objects, made possible due to Webb’s exquisite spatial resolution and sensitivity in near-infrared wavelengths, is providing information into the fundamentals of how stars are born.

“Astronomers have long assumed that as clouds collapse to form stars, the stars will tend to spin in the same direction,” said principal investigator Klaus Pontoppidan, of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. “However, this has not been seen so directly before. These aligned, elongated structures are a historical record of the fundamental way that stars are born.”

So just how does the alignment of the stellar jets relate to the rotation of the star? As an interstellar gas cloud crashes in on itself to form a star, it spins more rapidly. The only way for the gas to continue moving inward is for some of the spin (known as angular momentum) to be removed. A disk of material forms around the young star to transport material down, like a whirlpool around a drain. The swirling magnetic fields in the inner disk launch some of the material into twin jets that shoot outward in opposite directions, perpendicular to the disk of material.

In the Webb image, these jets are signified by bright clumpy streaks that appear red, which are shockwaves from the jet hitting surrounding gas and dust. Here, the red color represents the presence of molecular hydrogen and carbon monoxide.

“This area of the Serpens Nebula – Serpens North – only comes into clear view with Webb,” said lead author Joel Green of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. “We’re now able to catch these extremely young stars and their outflows, some of which previously appeared as just blobs or were completely invisible in optical wavelengths because of the thick dust surrounding them.”

Astronomers say there are a few forces that potentially can shift the direction of the outflows during this period of a young star’s life. One way is when binary stars spin around each other and wobble in orientation, twisting the direction of the outflows over time.

Stars of the Serpens

The Serpens Nebula, located 1,300 light-years from Earth, is only one or two million years old, which is very young in cosmic terms. It’s also home to a particularly dense cluster of newly forming stars (~100,000 years old), seen at the center of this image. Some of these stars will eventually grow to the mass of our Sun.

“Webb is a young stellar object-finding machine,” Green said. “In this field, we pick up sign posts of every single young star, down to the lowest mass stars.”

“It’s a very complete picture we’re seeing now,” added Pontoppidan.

So, throughout the region in this image, filaments and wisps of different hues represent reflected starlight from still-forming protostars within the cloud. In some areas, there is dust in front of that reflection, which appears here with an orange, diffuse shade.

This region has been home to other coincidental discoveries, including the flapping “Bat Shadow,” which earned its name when 2020 data from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope revealed a star’s planet-forming disk to flap, or shift. This feature is visible at the center of the Webb image.

Future Studies

The new image, and serendipitous discovery of the aligned objects, is actually just the first step in this scientific program. The team will now use Webb’s NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph) to investigate the chemical make-up of the cloud.

The astronomers are interested in determining how volatile chemicals survive star and planet formation. Volatiles are compounds that sublimate, or transition from a solid directly to a gas, at a relatively low temperature – including water and carbon monoxide. They’ll then compare their findings to amounts found in protoplanetary disks of similar-type stars.

“At the most basic form, we are all made of matter that came from these volatiles. The majority of water here on Earth originated when the Sun was an infant protostar billions of years ago,” Pontoppidan said. “Looking at the abundance of these critical compounds in protostars just before their protoplanetary disks have formed could help us understand how unique the circumstances were when our own solar system formed.”

These observations were taken as part of General Observer program 1611. The team’s initial results have been accepted in the Astrophysical Journal.

The James Webb Space Telescope is the world's premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).