Influencing Mechanisms of Urban Heat Island on Respiratory Diseases

Abstract

<jats:p>Background: Urban heat island (UHI) is being intensified with the progress of urbanization. Meanwhile, respiratory diseases caused by high temperature become common. This study explores the influences of UHI on respiratory diseases (J00-J99) and the evolutionary characteristics of the spatial pattern of such influences. Methods: The pattern–process–function and the influencing mechanism of UHI on respiratory diseases were evaluated through landscape pattern indexes from 1992 to 2018 in Tianjin, China. The basis was on data from Landsat TM/OLI/TIRS remote-sensing images, meteorological stations, and mortality of respiratory diseases. Results: The fluctuating influence of UHI on the respiratory diseases in Tianjin has increased from 1992 to 2018, showing a significant phase-based characteristic. During 2011-2018, the influence has soared greatly, and mortality risk has increased by 101%, and the influenced area has reached 349 km². Furthermore, the regional space clustered, and the influenced patches are in irregular shape, and the highly influenced area is enlarged. Moreover, the indexes of the landscape level of the influenced areas all decrease. The patches at all levels are fragmented and distributed discontinuously. Spatially, the influenced areas gradually extend from the urban center to the suburbs. Conclusion: UHI causes a higher mortality of respiratory diseases because it increases daily average air temperature in summer. With respect to landscape pattern, the influenced areas at low level is highly interconnected and relatively concentrated, whereas the influenced area at high level is distributed in clusters. In general, the influenced area is fragmented and discontinuously distributed in urban center.</jats:p>

Ideal Model for Investigating Urban Form Effects on Urban Heat Island and Outdoor Thermal Comfort: A Review

“…Studies show that urban areas are generally warmer than rural areas, especially during nights, which is referred to as the UHI effect Lilly and Devadas (2009). UHI in summer causes outdoor thermal discomfort Anand et al (2015), increases mortality and diseases, Huang et al (2019), energy demand and costs Mohajerani et al (2017), Akbari (2005) 2018), reducing green coverage and vegetation Aboelata and Sodoudi (2020), Akbari et al (2001), urban canopy Masson (2006), blocking the wind path Priyadarsini et al (2008), and land-use Pramanik and Punia (2019). Factors that cause the difference in air temperatures between urban and rural areas can be summed up as follows:…”

Spatial Evolution of the Effects of Urban Heat Island on Residents' Health

“…In extreme cases, heat exposure causes death and various diseases of the respiratory, urinary, circulatory, and nervous systems [23]. The characteristics of the spatial pattern of UHI on human physiology and comfort [8] and the mechanism of the UHI on respiratory diseases [9] on the basis of the human body's physiological response to high temperatures were explored by Huang. However, these studies focused only on single factors, such as physiological comfort or respiratory diseases, and rarely involved a comprehensive study of the physical and mental health hazards caused by UHI and the risk characteristics of their spatial patterns.…”

“…However, most studies focused on the evolution of UHI in different urban spaces rather than on the spatiotemporal response mechanism of UHI on urban residents' health. Only a few studies examined the effects of UHI in megacities on the typical spatial and temporal patterns of human comfort [8] and respiratory diseases [9]. Given that these studies focused on single factors, such as physiological comfort or respiratory diseases, they lack representative space research on diseases or the comprehensive health hazards of UHI on physical and psychological aspects and cannot assess the health risks of different spatial locations in cities.…”

Risk Burden of Heat-Related Morbidity Due to Urban Heat Island Effect in Tamalanrea District, Makassar

“…2 Global warming can accelerate and bring a series of disasters to urban communities. 3 The impact of global warming combined with the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect adversely affects the health and well-being of urban residents. 4 UHI is a condition where the area has a warmer temperature than the surrounding area, due to the concentration of built-up land in certain locations.…”