Wildfires take a heavy toll on human health worldwide. Climate change may increase the risk of wildfire frequency. Therefore, in view of adapted preventive actions, there is an urgent need to further understand the health effects and public awareness of wildfires. We conducted a systematic review of non-accidental health impacts of wildfire and incorporated lessons learned from recent experiences. Based on the literature, various studies have established the relationship between one of the major components of wildfire, particulate matter (particles with diameter less than 10 µm (PM₁₀) and less than 2.5 µm (PM_2.5)) and cardiorespiratory symptoms in terms of Emergency Rooms visits and hospital admissions. Associations between wildfire emissions and various subclinical effects have also been established. However, few relationships between wildfire emissions and mortality have been observed. Certain segments of the population may be particularly vulnerable to smoke-related health risks. Among them, people with pre-existing cardiopulmonary conditions, the elderly, smokers and, for professional reasons, firefighters. Potential action mechanisms have been highlighted. Overall, more research is needed to better understand health impact of wildfire exposure.

Background: Short-term effects of air pollution are documented more than long-term effects. Objective: We investigated 12-year impacts of ambient air pollutants on cardiovascular and respiratory morbidity and mortality at the departmental level in metropolitan France. Methods: Daily air pollution data at 2-km resolution, including concentrations of particulate matter of 10 µm or 2.5 µm in diameter or less (PM₁₀ and PM_2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and ozone (O₃), were accrued from the CHIMERE database for 1999 and 2000. Simultaneously, morbidity (hospitalizations) and mortality data were collected in 2012 using the ESPS (Enquête Santé et Protection Sociale/Health, Health Care and Insurance Survey) survey data and the CepiDc (Centre d’Épidémiologie sur les Causes Médicales de Décès/French Epidemiology Centre on Medical Causes of Death) database. Based on Poisson regression analyses, the long-term effect was estimated. A higher risk of all-cause mortality was observed using CépiDc database, with a relative risk of 1.024 (95% CI: 1.022, 1.026) and 1.029 (95% CI: 1.027, 1.031) for a 10 µg/m³ increase in PM_2.5 and PM₁₀, respectively. Mortality due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases likewise exhibited long-term associations with both PM_2.5 and PM₁₀. Using ESPS survey data, a significant risk was observed for both PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ in all-cause mortality and all-cause morbidity. Although a risk for higher all-cause mortality and morbidity was also present for NO₂, the cause-specific relative risk due to NO₂ was found to be lesser, as compared to PM. Nevertheless, cardiovascular and respiratory morbidity were related to NO₂, along with PM_2.5 and PM₁₀. However, the health effect of O₃ was seen to be substantially lower in comparison to the other pollutants. Conclusion: Our study confirmed that PM has a long-term impact on mortality and morbidity. Exposure to NO₂ and O₃ could also lead to increased health risks.

Aims and objectives: Lighting constitutes a critical issue in school design because of its importance as a strong enabler of performance, which is crucial for child development. However, data on light impacts on school performance are scarce. The main objective of this study was to assess the relationship between daylighting conditions in classrooms and mathematical and logical test scores. Methods: The population-based SINPHONIE (Schools Indoor Pollution and Heath: Observatory Network in Europe) study provides information on relationships between lighting conditions and school performance for 2670 elementary schoolchildren, aged 8–13 years from 155 classrooms in 53 schools across 12 European countries. These data were acquired through direct physical assessments and questionnaires completed by teachers, schoolchildren, and their parents, allowing for estimations of multiple objective daylight indicators, as well as subjective parameters such as the perception of lighting. Schoolchildren performed an attention/concentration exam that included simple mathematical exercises in addition to a logical ciphering test. The corresponding performance scores were compared against multiple daylighting parameters. Results: A positive relationship was found between performance scores and type of window shading, latitude, percentage of window facing south, and window glazing, with the highest impact due to the window-to-floor area ratio. Conclusion: Data collected in the SINPHONIE study across 12 European countries indicate that daylighting parameters are relevant to schoolchildren’s performance. As SINPHONIE was not designed specifically with lighting in mind, dedicated studies covering a wide range of classroom configurations would be enlightening.

The built environment in urban areas may have side effects on children's respiratory health, whilst less is known for adulthood. to assess the association between increasing exposure to grey spaces and allergic status in an adult general population sample. 2070 subjects (age range 15-84 yrs), living in Pisa/Cascina, Italy, were investigated in 1991-93 through a questionnaire on health status and risk factors, skin prick test (SPT), serum Immunoglobulins E (IgE), and serum antibodies to benzo(a)pyrene diol epoxide (BPDE)-DNA adducts. Land-cover exposure within a 1000 m buffer from each subject's home address was assessed through the CORINE Land Cover program (CLC 1990) within the FP7/HEALS project (2013-2018). Participants' residential addresses were geocoded and the proportion of surrounding grey spaces was calculated. Through logistic regression models, adjusting for potential confounding factors, the effect of a 10% increase in grey spaces exposure on allergic biomarkers/conditions was assessed; the relationship with serum antibodies to BPDE-DNA adducts positivity was also analyzed. A 10% increase in grey spaces coverage was associated with a higher probability of having SPT positivity (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.02-1.13), seasonal SPT positivity (OR 1.12, 1.05-1.19), polysensitization (OR 1.11, 1.04-1.19), allergic rhinitis (OR 1.10, 1.04-1.17), co-presence of SPT positivity and asthma/allergic rhinitis (OR 1.16, 1.08-1.25), asthma/allergic rhinitis (OR 1.06, 1.00-1.12), presence of serum antibodies to BPDE-DNA adducts positivity (OR 1.07, 1.01-1.14). grey spaces have adverse effects on allergic status and are related to a biomarker of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons exposure in adulthood. Thus, they may be used as a proxy of urban environmental exposure.