Double Trouble: How Heatwaves Make Us More Sensitive to Air Pollution
Protecting our communities from the “one-two punch” of environmental change
Why Now?
When it gets scorching hot and the air is dirty, our health takes a double hit. Climate change is making these “bad air” and “extreme heat” days happen more often. While we know they are dangerous, we are still learning how they work together to trigger hospital visits for breathing and heart problems, especially in children.
What We Did
This editorial outlines a plan for how researchers can put together knowledge on the health effects of heat and the health effects of poor air quality to better understand how they jointly affect health. A recent study was used as an example. It analyzed data from several cities to examine how high temperatures and formaldehyde affect children’s hospital visits for breathing issues and highlighted ways future research could improve.
Who Was Involved?
The authors learned from the task force members lived experiences and these were part of the inspiration of this work