Analysis of thermal discomfort associated with synoptic conditions in the city of Pelotas, southernmost region of Brazil.

Here, we evaluated the influence of outdoor environmental conditions (synoptic weather conditions) on human thermal discomfort in the five macro-regions of Pelotas city, located in the southernmost region of Brazil. To do this, meteorological sensors (HOBO MX2301A) were installed outside the residences to measure the air temperature, dew point temperature, and relative humidity between 18 January and 20 August 2019. Two well-established simplified biometeorological indices were examined seasonally: (i) humidex for the summer months and (ii) effective temperature as a function of wind for the autumn and winter months. Our findings showed seasonal differences related to human thermal discomfort and outdoor environmental conditions. The thermal discomfort was highest in the afternoons during the summer months and at night during the winter months. The seasonal variation in human thermal discomfort was highly associated with the meteorological conditions. In summer, the presence of the South Atlantic Subtropical Anticyclone (SASA) contributed to heat stress. The SASA combined with the continent's low humidity contributed to the perceived sensation of thermal discomfort. In the winter, thermal discomfort was associated with the decrease in air humidity caused by high atmospheric pressure systems, which led to a decrease in both air temperature and air moisture content. Our findings suggest that a better understanding of the complex interplay between outdoor environmental factors and human thermal comfort is needed in order to mitigate the negative effects of thermal discomfort.

Analyzing the relationship between air temperature and respiratory morbidity in children and the elderly in Porto Alegre, Brazil, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The aim of the study was to analyze the relationship between air temperature data against hospital admissions due to respiratory diseases of children (under five years of age) and the elderly (over 65) in subtropical Porto Alegre, Brazil, comparing outcomes for 3 sequential years, 2018-2020, pre- and post-COVID 19 pandemic. Meteorological and hospital admission (HA) data for Porto Alegre, marked by a Koeppen-Geiger's Cfa climate type with well-defined seasons, were used in the analyses. HA was obtained for respiratory diseases (J00-99, according to the International Classification of Diseases, ICD-10) from the Brazilian DATASUS (Unified Health System database). We performed correlation analysis between variables (HA versus air temperature and heat stress) in order to identify existing relationships and lag effects (between meteorological condition and morbidity). Relative risk (RR) was also obtained for the two age groups during the three years. Results showed that the pandemic year disrupted observed patterns of association between analyzed variables, with either very low or non-existent correlations.

Summary of the first Brazilian Symposium on Human Biometeorology.

This brief background highlights Brazil as a 'climate-health hotspot', i.e. a country where climate affects local populations negatively through multiple pathways (Di Napoli et al. BMC Public Health 22(1):1-8, 2022). Knowledge gaps still need to be filled concerning the various climaterelated dimensions of tourism, vector-borne diseases, mortality and morbidity in urban centers in the country (Krüger et al. Int J Biometeorol 66(7):1297-1315, 2022). Motivated by this, the first Brazilian Symposium on Human Biometeorology (Simpósio Brasileiro de Biometeorologia Humana 2022) was organized and held at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) in Natal, northeastern Brazil, between July 4 and 8, 2022. The symposium was organized as a hybrid event by a committee composed of researchers acting in different regions of the country, and who had an ongoing research collaboration on matters related to human biometeorology. The event was partly sponsored by the ISB and partly self-supported by the organizers and institutions involved. The symposium aimed to promote the development of the research area on human biometeorology in Brazil in facing challenges imposed by a globally and locally changing climate. To achieve this, the symposium focused on five main topics of discussion: a) climate-driven diseases; b) thermal comfort, urban and architectural biometeorology; c) atmospheric pollution and health; d) climate change; e) climate, health and climate change. This summary highlights the main findings, future research directions, and policy implications in each topic from the presentations and panel discussions.

Relationship between meteorological variables and pneumonia in children in the Metropolitan Region of Porto Alegre, Brazil.

This work aims to analyze the relationship between meteorological conditions and the occurrence of hospital admissions for pneumonia in children under 5 years of age in the Metropolitan Region of Porto Alegre, Brazil, from 1998 to 2017. To this end, data from hospital admissions obtained from the Unified Health System database (DATASUS) were used and classified into two groups: acute respiratory infections (ARI) and asthma, according to the international classification of diseases, tenth edition (ICD-10). Data regarding meteorological variables were also used: temperature, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure and wind speed, at 12Z and 18Z, as well as the Thermal Comfort Index (TCI), Effective Temperature as a function of the wind (ETw) and Windchill (W). From the data obtained, a descriptive analysis of the diseases and a statistical analysis with the analysis of correlation and main components were performed. Results showed that pneumonia (catalogued in the ICD-10 as J12 to J18) was the main cause of hospitalizations in children. The annual, monthly and daily hospitalization frequency distributions showed higher rates of admissions occurring in the months of May to September. The peaks of admissions and high admissions (HA) occurred mainly in the winter months (June, July and August), and in 1998. Meanwhile, the correlation and principal component analysis showed an increase in hospital admissions due to pneumonia related to a decrease in temperature and ETw and W indices (negative anomalies) and an increase in atmospheric pressure and relative humidity (positive anomalies).

A first approach to human biometeorology research in Brazil: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

This systematic review aims to give an overview of the diversity of research areas related to human biometeorology in Brazil. The main focus of this paper addresses research trends, represented by published papers with national and international authorship, main contributions and shortcomings, as well as challenges and prospects of research in this area of study. An extensive literature search was conducted in the Scopus, Web of Science, and Science Direct databases so as to identify relevant publication output up to July 2021 related to the research area. The screening resulted in 96 studies chosen for full-text reading. Overall, results indicated a reduced amount of articles on the subject matter published internationally, with noticeable gaps in research in some regions of the country, such as the Amazon region and in the Brazilian Midwest region. Research gaps in relevant areas have been identified with limited output in the climate dimensions of tourism, vector-borne diseases, mortality and morbidity in urban centers. Such gaps should further encourage researchers to engage in research focused on those areas.

Analysis of indoor human thermal comfort in Pelotas municipality, extreme southern Brazil.

The indoor human thermal comfort (HTC) was investigated in residences located in the Pelotas City, southern Brazil, by the effective temperature index (ETI). In this study, temperature and relative humidity were measured inside 429 houses, located in different regions of Pelotas city, from January 11 to August 27, 2019. Samples were obtained using HOBO data loggers, indoor sensors, installed in different regions of the municipality, in the context of a cohort study of children between 2 and 4 years old and their respective mothers, led by Epidemiological Research Center of the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPEL). In general, all regions had average hourly values of effective temperature index above the comfort zone in summer and below the comfort zone in the winter. In terms of spatial variability, the indoor HTC was dependent on environmental factors such as lake breeze and indoor behavior factors, such as the use of air conditioning system in the downtown buildings.

Excess of children's outpatient consultations due to asthma and bronchitis and the association between meteorological variables in Canoas City, Southern Brazil.

The southern Brazilian city of Canoas, situated in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre, is subject to several annual meteorological phenomena, such as cold fronts and squall lines. Here, we assess the relationship between meteorological conditions and outpatient consultations for asthma or bronchitis in children from Canoas City. Data from outpatient consultations of children (below 9 years), between January/2005 and September/2008, were combined with daily meteorological data from 12UTC (morning) and 18UTC (afternoon). We identified 42 days with an excess of outpatient consultations (peaks). Consultations were negatively correlated with temperature and human thermal comfort index (HTCI) from the 3 previous days based on consultation data at 12 and 18UTC, and positively correlated with atmospheric pressure. A positive correlation with relative humidity was significant only at 12UTC. The highest correlations occurred on the day of consultation (12UTC) with temperature, relative humidity, and atmospheric pressure, as well as 2 days previous to the HTCI. The sensation of cold was associated with about 55% of the days of the period at 12UTC: considering only the peaks of consultations, this association exceeds 90% of days. The highest frequencies of respiratory complications (June, July, and August) were associated with negative temperature anomalies, wind speed and direction, and positive anomalies in relative humidity and atmospheric pressure. Nearly half (45%) of the air masses associated with respiratory complications arrived at Canoas from a SW direction, 19% from the south and 14% from the west. In summary, observed increases in respiratory complications were mainly associated with the presence of cold and humid air (and/or falling temperature with increasing humidity) in the morning.

Fatores epidemiológicos do dengue na região central do estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil, 2007 - 2010 / Epidemiological features of dengue in the central region of Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, from 2007 to 2010

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar fatores epidemiológicos do dengue, nos municípios da 4ª Coordenadoria Regional de Saúde/RS (4a CRS/RS), nos anos de 2007 a 2010. Trata-se de um estudo descritivo, empregando como variáveis: município de notificação; ano de notificação; sexo e faixa etária do paciente; índice de infestação predial (IIP) e índice de Breteau (IB). Foram constatados 13 casos importados da doença, em cinco municípios, sendo a maior ocorrência em Santa Maria. Houve notificação de casos em ambos os sexos e em diferentes faixas etárias. Focos positivos do Aedes aegypti foram encontrados em armadilhas instaladas em pontos estratégicos de Santa Maria e Santiago. O IIP e IB, em ambos os municípios, não representaram risco à saúde pública. Conclui-se, portanto, que as ações de vigilância em saúde devem ser fomentadas com o objetivo de orientar as práticas de controle do vetor, bem como promover a educação sanitária e ambiental, a fim de impedir a instalação de casos autóctones nos municípios estudados.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the epidemiological issues of dengue in the counties of the 4th Coordenadoria Regional de Saúde (government agency to surveillance on public health) of Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, during 2007 to 2010. This is a descriptive study, using as variables: cities where dengue was reported; year; sex and age of the patient; infestation (IIP) and Breteau (BI) index. A total of 13 imported cases of the dengue was reported in five cities and higher occurrence was in Santa Maria city. There were notifications of dengue in both sex and in different age groups. Positive foci of Aedes aegypti were found in the traps at strategic points in both cities, Santa Maria and Santiago. BII and BI varied during the studied period in both cities, and, so far, they did not constitute a risk to public health. We conclude that the health surveillance should be enhanced with the purpose of guiding vector control practices, as well as promote health and environmental education in order to prevent the installation of autochthonous dengue cases in the cities studied.

Uma análise da umidade relativa do ar em ambientes internos e externos na cidade de São Paulo: deve-se umidificar ou secar os ambientes internos? / An analysis of the air relative humidity in internal and external environment in the city of São Paulo, Brazil

Desde a Antiguidade a umidade do ar, tanto elevada como baixa, tem sido relacionada a problemas de saúde. Neste estudo foram coletados dados de umidade relativa do ar de 376 domicílios na cidade de São Paulo. Os resultados mostraram que a umidade relativa média das mínimas foi de 67%, durante o período diurno, e a umidade relativa média das máximas foi de 87%, durante o período noturno. Estes valores foram compatíveis aos obtidos na Estação Meteorológica do Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas da Universidade de São Paulo. Não houve diferença significante durante o período seco de inverno. Somente 18 eventos com umidade relativa abaixo de 30% foram registrados. Por outro lado, 78 domicílios apresentaram umidade relativa média máxima de 100%. De acordo com a literatura, os valores aceitáveis de umidade relativa não devem ultrapassar 60% e o conforto térmico sugere que a umidade relativa oscile entre 40% e, no máximo, 70%. Assim, os resultados deste estudo mostram que a umidade relativa média da cidade de São Paulo está muito acima do recomendado. Devido às possíveis implicações na quantidade de fungos e ácaros, os quais têm preferência por umidade relativa ao redor de 80%, recomenda-se fortemente que os domicílios paulistanos sejam desumificados à noite, mesmo no período de inverno, oposto ao que a mídia apregoa, aumentando as doenças respiratórias.