A Review of Methods for Assessing the Environmental Health Impacts of an Agricultural System

Grout, Lise; Hales, Simon; French, Nigel P.; Baker, Michael G

doi:10.3390/ijerph15071315

Cited by 10 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…It is a challenge for a country that is so highly reliant on a narrow agricultural base to transition to a more sustainable and low risk agricultural system. Informing this transition may benefit from use of new, more comprehensive metrics that consider wider health, social, environmental, and economic impacts [28].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

One Health Aotearoa: a transdisciplinary initiative to improve human, animal and environmental health in New Zealand

et al. 2020

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There is increased recognition that complex health challenges at the human-animal-environmental interface require a transdisciplinary, "whole-of-society" approach. This philosophy is particularly pertinent in Aotearoa-New Zealand because of the country's relatively isolated island ecosystem, economic reliance on agriculture and its intensification, and existing indigenous worldview that emphasises holism and interconnectivity between humans, animals and the environment. In New Zealand, the One Health Aotearoa (OHA) alliance was established in order to better connect researchers and to address a growing number of infectious diseases challenges. The emphasis of OHA is to bring together and facilitate interactions between people from diverse disciplines, link to stakeholders and communities, and engage with policy-makers, government operational agencies, and funders, thus providing a holistic and integrative systems-thinking approach to address priority questions and achieve desired outcomes in One Health. The initial focus of OHA has been on infectious diseases, but there is increasing recognition of the potential benefits of the alliance to address broader complex issues. Greater involvement and overlap of the environmental sciences, human and animal health sciences, social science, and indigenous kaupapa Māori research is particularly critical for ensuring its success within the New Zealand context. Given the economic and cultural importance of New Zealand's "clean, green" image, a One Health approach that draws strongly on the environmental sciences makes particular sense. Furthermore, as the global environment becomes increasingly stressed by anthropogenic pressures our research may hold potential solutions for similar challenges elsewhere.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

One Health Aotearoa: a transdisciplinary initiative to improve human, animal and environmental health in New Zealand

et al. 2020

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“…These models can however suffer from imbalances between the dimensions they consider, and may not always scale well. For example there is still uncertainty as to whether SEAMLESS can effectively be upscaled beyond its test case and whether it can cope with the environmental externalities of farming systems assessed with large bio-economic farm models (Grout et al, 2018; van Ittersum et al, 2008).…”

Section: Current Status Of Research In Sustainability Tools and The N...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These studies critically evaluate the risks and uncertainties associated with specific tools, and some advise on the most appropriate contexts to apply them. For example, Grout et al (Grout et al, 2018) compared eight different tools for assessing the environmental impacts of agricultural systems. They selected Health Impact Assessment (HIA) for New Zealand's dairy sector as it was the only tool that covered environmental, health, social, and economic aspects, and that was designed to assess the impacts of a proposed policy.…”

Section: Status Of Research In Sustainability Toolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fast tracking tool selection for sustainability decisions

Willer,

Christie,

Khripko

et al. 2024

Glob. Sustain.

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Non-technical Summary. In decision-making, especially for sustainability, choosing the right assessment tools is crucial but challenging due to the abundance of options. A new method is introduced to streamline this process, aiding policymakers and managers. This method involves four phases: scoping, cataloging, selection, and validation, combining data analysis with stakeholder engagement. Using the food system as an example, the approach demonstrates how practitioners can select tools effectively based on input variables and desired outcomes to address sustainability risks. This method can be applied across various sectors, offering a systematic way to enhance decision-making and manage sustainability effectively. Technical Summary. Decision making frequently entails the selection and application of assessment tools. For sustainability decisions there are a plethora of tools available for environmental assessment, yet no established and clear approach to determine which tools are appropriate and resource efficient for application. Here we present an extensive inventory of tools and a novel taxonomic method which enables efficient, effective tool selection to improve decision making for policymakers and managers. The tool selection methodology follows four main phases based on the divergence-convergence logic; a scoping phase, cataloging phase, selection phase and validation phase. This approach combines elements of data-driven analysis with participatory techniques for stakeholder engagement to achieve buy-in and to ensure efficient management of progress and agile course correction when needed. It builds on the current limited range and scope of approaches to tool selection, and is flexible and Artificial Intelligence-ready in order to facilitate more rapid integration and uptake. Using the food system as a case study, we demonstrate how practitioners can use available input variables and desired output metrics to select the most appropriate tools to manage sustainability risks, with the approach having wide applicability to other sectors.

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“…The analysis of variability in NH 3 concentrations is crucial for estimating the impacts of the agricultural sector on ecosystem health (44,45) and understanding the dynamics of atmospheric particulate matter formation. This understanding is essential for supporting policymakers in identifying effective measures to reduce atmospheric aerosol burst events and the resulting exceedances of legal limits for the protection of health, to which NH 4 NO 3 strongly contributes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Monitoring ammonia concentrations in more than 10 stations in the Po Valley for the period 2007–2022 in relation to the evolution of different sources

Colombi,

D’Angelo,

Biffi

et al. 2024

Front. Environ. Health

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Regarding secondary aerosols, in addition to the significant contribution of anthropogenic gases such as NOx and SO2, atmospheric ammonia (NH3) plays a crucial role as the primary basic gaseous species capable of neutralizing acidic compounds. This acid–base reaction is responsible for the formation of ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3), constituting up to 60% of PM10 within the Po River basin in Italy. Ion chromatographic analyses performed on offline samples indicate that this secondary inorganic species exhibits minimal concentration variability over the Po Valley because of limited air circulation due to orography and mesoscale air circulation. Therefore, investigating gaseous precursors becomes crucial. From the northern to the southern part of Lombardy—the region at the center of the basin—NH3 emission amounts account for 2.5, 11.1, and 27.7 t/y/km2, mainly due to agriculture and livestock activities (∼97%). To study NH3 temporal and spatial variability, the Environmental Protection Agency of Lombardy Region has been monitoring NH3 concentrations across its territory since 2007, with 10 active monitoring sites. Annual and seasonal cycles are presented, along with a focus on different stations, including urban, low-mountain background, high-impact livestock, and rural background, highlighting the impact of various sources. Measurements indicate that within the Po basin, NH3 concentrations can reach up to 700 µg/m3 (as an hourly average) in proximity to the main gaseous NH3 source. Instrument intercomparisons among online monitors and passive vials, as well as different online monitors, are presented. Therefore, this paper provides crucial data to understand the formation of secondary inorganic aerosols in one of the most important hotspot sites for air pollution.

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A Review of Methods for Assessing the Environmental Health Impacts of an Agricultural System

Cited by 10 publications

References 62 publications

One Health Aotearoa: a transdisciplinary initiative to improve human, animal and environmental health in New Zealand

One Health Aotearoa: a transdisciplinary initiative to improve human, animal and environmental health in New Zealand

Fast tracking tool selection for sustainability decisions

Monitoring ammonia concentrations in more than 10 stations in the Po Valley for the period 2007–2022 in relation to the evolution of different sources

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