![]() ![]() ![]() Recently, he started an informal networking group of faculty members across campus who conduct research in the area of air pollution and human health. “In addition to critical mitigation efforts to reduce air pollution, we need to identify those people who are most susceptible to its adverse effects.”Īs a physician-scientist, Tighe spends just as much time in the lab as he does in the clinic, researching the chronic lung diseases he treats to better help his patients. “It’s really troubling to think about the impact that climate change is having and will continue to have on air pollution and therefore the health of patients most impacted by air pollution,” said Tighe. But perhaps the most acute way, said Tighe, is through decreased air quality. These changes will affect humans in a number of ways, including food security, extreme weather events and wildfires, and diseases transmitted by insects, food, and water. The Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC) which includes more than 1,300 scientists from the United States and other countries, predicts a temperature rise of 2.5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit over the next century.Īlthough the temperature rise may seem miniscule, it’s enough to have a significant and lasting effect, leading to loss of sea ice, accelerated sea level rise, and longer, more intense heat waves. The worst part, he said, is that air pollution is only expected to get worse. “Usually 24 to 72 hours after a spike in air pollution, we notice a spike in emergency room visits for acute exacerbations related to chronic lung disease, asthma, or heart attack.” ![]() People with asthma, lung disease, and heart disease have been shown to be especially at risk for acute episodes on these days. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which monitors air quality for the entire United States using its Air Quality Index, issues code red alerts for specific locales when it detects high ozone amounts in the air. Ozone is a particulate that forms when sunlight hits chemicals from combustion sources like cars, stoves, or industrial facilities. Tighe especially worries about his patients with severe chronic lung disease on “code red” days which indicate particularly high levels of ozone. Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunities.Duke Research and Discovery Core Facilities & Service Centers. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |