{"title":"Air Pollution and Heat Impacts on Respiratory Morbidity and Mortality Outcomes in Africa: A Systematic Review Towards a Meta-analysis.","authors":"Caradee Y Wright, Thandi Kapwata, Viwe Dikoko, Chantelle Howlett-Downing, Natasha Naidoo","doi":"10.1007/s40572-026-00561-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40572-026-00561-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of the review: </strong>This review synthesised evidence on associations between air pollution and respiratory morbidity in Africa. Following PRISMA guidelines, we systematically searched PubMed, ScienceDirect and Elicit for case-control studies published between 2015 and 2025.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Thirteen studies from ten African countries reported pollutant levels far exceeding WHO guidelines. Indoor PM₂.₅ in biomass-using homes ranged from 96 to 177 µg/m³, and ambient PM₂.₅ reached 259 µg/m³. Nitrogen oxides were consistently associated with reduced lung function in children, while household air pollution increased risks of under-five mortality and low birthweight. Associations with acute respiratory infections varied across settings. Vulnerability was greatest among young children, those with airway hyperresponsiveness, and households with poor ventilation. Only three studies included temperature, and none examined heat-respiratory interactions. Across African case-control studies, particulate matter and household air pollution remain consistently linked to adverse respiratory outcomes, highlighting urgent needs for cleaner fuels, improved ventilation, and stronger evidence on combined pollution and heat exposures.</p>","PeriodicalId":10775,"journal":{"name":"Current Environmental Health Reports","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13541811/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148886457","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Assessing the Impact of Cool Roofs on Health and Wellbeing: A Scoping Review.","authors":"Noah Bunkley, Melanie Stowell, Chris Bullen","doi":"10.1007/s40572-026-00558-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40572-026-00558-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Extreme heat poses a threat to the health and wellbeing of millions of people worldwide living in climate-vulnerable housing. Cool roofs are a potential passive-cooling housing retrofit solution that is affordable and scalable to reduce heat exposure and improve community health and wellbeing.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To conduct a scoping review to systematically identify and map the research addressing the effect of residential cool roofs on health and wellbeing, identify knowledge gaps, and inform the design of future empirical studies.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>Six online databases were searched from 1980 to July 2025 to identify relevant papers. We selected 14 publications that compared cool roofs with non-cool roofs, measured their effects on health and wellbeing, and summarised the data in a narrative synthesis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>All publications were modelling studies, with the majority (71%) examining the effects of cool roofs on urban heat island mitigation and their impact on health. Most (93%) of the assessed populations were in high-income countries. Estimates of the projected health benefits of cool roofs ranged widely across studies, depending on the study context, methodology, and outcomes.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>While our scoping review identified modelling studies highlighting the potential benefits of cool roofs, the dearth of publications assessing their use in low-resource settings and the lack of empirical evidence underscore the need for further research to determine their effectiveness in structurally vulnerable communities.</p>","PeriodicalId":10775,"journal":{"name":"Current Environmental Health Reports","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13541873/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148886546","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hannah Cooke, Misti Levy Zamora, Jessica P Hollenbach
{"title":"School Indoor Air Quality's Impact on Student Achievement and Educator Experience: A Review of Current Evidence.","authors":"Hannah Cooke, Misti Levy Zamora, Jessica P Hollenbach","doi":"10.1007/s40572-026-00556-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40572-026-00556-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>This review synthesizes recent evidence linking indoor air quality (IAQ) in K-12 schools to the distinct outcomes of (1) student cognitive and academic performance and (2) educator health, perception, and behavior.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Recent studies confirm that indoor air pollutants negatively impact student academic performance and cognitive functioning. Educators' subjective perceptions of IAQ are not concordant with objective measures of IAQ. Few studies examine the impact of objectively measured IAQ on educator health and performance. School IAQ is a critical environmental factor that simultaneously impacts both student learning and educator performance. This review highlights the need for a \"whole school\" approach, encouraging future studies to consider these dual impacts concurrently.</p>","PeriodicalId":10775,"journal":{"name":"Current Environmental Health Reports","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148863779","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hanna Boogaard, Dan L Crouse, Allison P Patton, Ellen Mantus, Susanne Breitner-Busch, Jaime E Hart, Anna Oudin, Shu Yang, Jeffrey D Yanosky, John Volckens, Jana B Milford
{"title":"Advancing Long-Term Outdoor Air Pollution Exposure Assessment for Health Studies: Lessons from a Multinational Research Initiative.","authors":"Hanna Boogaard, Dan L Crouse, Allison P Patton, Ellen Mantus, Susanne Breitner-Busch, Jaime E Hart, Anna Oudin, Shu Yang, Jeffrey D Yanosky, John Volckens, Jana B Milford","doi":"10.1007/s40572-026-00560-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40572-026-00560-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>The Health Effects Institute recently completed an extensive research initiative to investigate novel approaches to improve assessment of long-term exposure to outdoor air pollution for health studies in North America and Europe. This overview synthesizes the key results, strengths, and limitations, along with other key research and future research needs.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Exposures predicted from the various models, including those accounting for daily mobility patterns and outdoor-indoor infiltration rates, generally resulted in moderately to highly correlated exposure estimates (correlation > 0.7). Health effect estimates associated with the alternative exposures were similar, albeit with some notable differences in the magnitude - but not the direction - of the associations. This research initiative can inform decisions about estimating air pollution exposure in epidemiological studies, as investigators balance concerns about bias, efficiency, and resource needs. Future work is needed to replicate findings in other studies and regions. Other areas of future work include generating representative validation data for long-term exposure estimates, propagating exposure measurement error more fully into health effect estimates and improving understanding of the influence of indoor environments.</p>","PeriodicalId":10775,"journal":{"name":"Current Environmental Health Reports","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13529910/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148863821","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Citizen Science in Air Pollution Monitoring: Methodological Approaches, Effectiveness, and Integration with Health Research.","authors":"Hong Yang","doi":"10.1007/s40572-026-00559-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40572-026-00559-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>This review critically examines the role of citizen science in air-pollution monitoring and its integration into environmental health research. It explores how participatory approaches, including low-cost sensors and community co-creation, can enhance spatial resolution, public engagement, and environmental justice, while assessing data quality, health relevance, and scalability.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Recent studies document the expanding global deployment of citizen science air quality monitoring networks. Advances in calibration algorithms, wearable technologies, and participatory data-collection methods have strengthened capacity to assess real-time exposure. Several projects demonstrate the increasing technical sophistication and policy relevance of citizen-generated air quality data. Citizen science provides hyperlocal insights into air quality and exposure, strengthens risk communication, and contributes to health-impact assessment. Although challenges remain regarding data reliability, representativeness, and policy uptake, emerging approaches, including AI-assisted calibration and distributed sensor networks, offer promising pathways forward. An integrative framework can support sustained community engagement and evidence-informed action to improve air quality.</p>","PeriodicalId":10775,"journal":{"name":"Current Environmental Health Reports","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13524968/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148850060","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Katharine A Teigen, David M Coomes, Amruta Nori-Sarma, Joan A Casey
{"title":"The Mental Health Impacts of Wildfire Exposure: A Scoping Review of the Quantitative Evidence.","authors":"Katharine A Teigen, David M Coomes, Amruta Nori-Sarma, Joan A Casey","doi":"10.1007/s40572-026-00547-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40572-026-00547-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Wildfires are increasing in frequency and intensity worldwide, with growing evidence linking wildfire exposure to adverse mental health outcomes. This scoping review aimed to summarize and critically assess the existing quantitative literature on wildfire-related mental health impacts. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar to identify studies published between 2000 and 2025, which we analyzed to understand how wildfires were investigated, evaluate how exposure was measured, assess mental health outcomes, and identify persistent gaps in the literature. Of 251 unique manuscripts identified, 85 met inclusion criteria. Studies were primarily conducted in Australia (34.1%), Canada (31.8%), and the United States (29.4%), with limited representation from Greece, Italy, Israel, South Korea, and Spain. Exposure assessment methods varied widely, where 21.2% of studies considered everyone uniformly exposed. Other exposure assessment methods used were evacuation status, questionnaires, researcher-ascribed loss severity, and spatio-temporal proximity. Depression was the most frequently studied outcome (evaluated in 58.5% of studies), followed by post-traumatic stress disorder (52.9%) and anxiety (48.2%). Other outcomes included insomnia, suicidality, substance use, and resilience. Most studies reported elevated adverse mental health following wildfires, though findings varied. Multiple aspects of wildfire exposure, including direct exposure, seeing flames or smoke, and being evacuated were consistently associated with adverse mental health outcomes. Limitations in the literature included non-standardized exposure assessments, limited geographic diversity, and a shortage of rigorous epidemiologic study designs. Addressing these gaps is essential to improving understanding of wildfire-related mental health impacts and informing public health responses.</p>","PeriodicalId":10775,"journal":{"name":"Current Environmental Health Reports","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13481721/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148789407","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Paternal Exposure to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals and Couples' Pregnancy Outcomes: A Qualitative Review of the Literature.","authors":"Han Han, Russ Hauser, Lidia Mínguez-Alarcón","doi":"10.1007/s40572-026-00550-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40572-026-00550-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are ubiquitous, and exposure to them has been associated with adverse reproductive health in both animals and humans. While the adverse effects of maternal EDC exposures on pregnancy outcomes have been extensively investigated, an increasing body of literature is now examining the role of paternal exposure, given its potential impact on sperm epigenetics. This review summarizes human studies examining associations between paternal exposure to several EDCs and couples' pregnancy outcomes.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Biomarker-based studies suggest potential negative associations between paternal preconception exposure to certain phthalates and couples' pregnancy outcomes, whereas studies for bisphenol A and parabens have shown little to no associations. The evidence regarding benzophenones, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, and flame-retardant chemicals remains limited and inconclusive. Given the critical knowledge gaps in this field, additional couple-based studies with repeated preconception exposure measurements are needed to clarify the effects of paternal exposure to individual EDCs and their mixtures on couples' pregnancy outcomes. Additional studies on potential biological mechanisms that may explain these associations (e.g., sperm epigenome) are also warranted.</p>","PeriodicalId":10775,"journal":{"name":"Current Environmental Health Reports","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13476319/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148757871","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jennifer D Roberts, Sasha Hali Tolliver-Chavez, Roger Isom
{"title":"\"Walking While Black\": Impacts of Inequities in Nature Access and Belongingness.","authors":"Jennifer D Roberts, Sasha Hali Tolliver-Chavez, Roger Isom","doi":"10.1007/s40572-026-00554-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40572-026-00554-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Review purpose: </strong>As a framework for understanding inequities in nature access andbelongingness among Black Americans, this review examines the historical and public health significance of \"Walking While Black.\" By tracingthe colloquial evolution of \"Walking While Black,\" contemporary experiences within a broader history of racialized surveillance and exclusionare positioned.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Recent research indicates that inequities in nature access extend beyond the physical availability of parks and green spaces to include safety, inclusion, and belongingness. Historical and contemporary forms of racial exclusion have limited outdoor engagement for many Black Americans. These inequities are associated with reduced physical activity, chronic stress, anxiety, hypervigilance, environmental injustice, and diminished opportunities for social connection and community engagement. \"Walking While Black\" reflects the enduring racialization of mobility and presence in public and natural spaces. The resulting barriers to nature access and belongingness contribute to physical, mental, emotional, and social health disparities among Black Americans. Achieving environmental and health equity requires both expanding access to green spaces and creating environments where Black individuals can safely and freely exist without fear, suspicion, or exclusion.</p>","PeriodicalId":10775,"journal":{"name":"Current Environmental Health Reports","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13447399/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148677450","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Emma L Gause, Talia Feldscher, Zachary Popp, Keith R Spangler, Sean C Mueller, Quinn H Adams, T C Chakraborty, Lucy R Hutyra, Allison James, Thomas J Luben, Dany Doiron, Carina J Gronlund, Ruth A Engel, Marcia Pescador Jimenez, Jeffrey R Brook, Massimo Stafoggia, Itai Kloog, Michael Brauer, Sara D Adar, Kevin J Lane, Gregory A Wellenius
{"title":"Data Considerations for Estimating Ambient Heat Exposure for Environmental Epidemiological Studies.","authors":"Emma L Gause, Talia Feldscher, Zachary Popp, Keith R Spangler, Sean C Mueller, Quinn H Adams, T C Chakraborty, Lucy R Hutyra, Allison James, Thomas J Luben, Dany Doiron, Carina J Gronlund, Ruth A Engel, Marcia Pescador Jimenez, Jeffrey R Brook, Massimo Stafoggia, Itai Kloog, Michael Brauer, Sara D Adar, Kevin J Lane, Gregory A Wellenius","doi":"10.1007/s40572-026-00553-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40572-026-00553-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Extreme heat is a public health threat. We review common meteorological data sets and metrics for estimating heat in epidemiologic studies and recommend practical advice for those just starting in this field.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Heat can be estimated through a variety of approaches that differ in their spatial resolution, temporal frequency, historical extent, aggregation, and population coverage. Heat exposure is operationalized as air temperature, but heat indices including additional variables (e.g. humidity, solar radiation, wind) capturing different physiological pathways and varying in their availability and interpretability are common. Defining heat waves for research and government activation is another important consideration in terms of risk and perception. Other analysis choices include defining extreme heat thresholds, population-weighting, or special considerations in urban environments. We suggest practical guidance for selecting data and metrics for specific heat health epidemiologic questions. No single \"best\" heat metric exists; investigators should consider their research question, population, and data availability to identify the most appropriate approaches.</p>","PeriodicalId":10775,"journal":{"name":"Current Environmental Health Reports","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13415482/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148599837","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Ambient Air Pollution, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, and Pubertal Development: A Critical Review of Emerging Evidence.","authors":"Alicia K Peterson","doi":"10.1007/s40572-026-00552-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40572-026-00552-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Puberty is a sensitive period of endocrine development with lifelong implications for cardiometabolic and reproductive health. This review evaluates evidence linking ambient air pollution and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to pubertal development.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Studies suggest that associations between air pollution and pubertal timing depend on pollutant composition, exposure timing, and exposure intensity. Component-level analyses of PM<sub>2.5</sub> implicate organic matter (OM) and sulfate fractions in associations with earlier menarche and precocious puberty, with OM enriched in combustion-derived PAHs. In contrast, high chronic PM<sub>2.5</sub> exposure has also been associated with delayed menarche in heavily polluted settings. Biomarker studies further support biological plausibility, associating PAH exposure to earlier breast development and disruption of hypothalamic kisspeptin-GnRH signaling. Evidence suggests that air pollution may alter pubertal timing through endocrine-disrupting mechanisms, with PAHs representing a plausible mechanistic pathway. Future studies should prioritize longitudinal cohorts, pollutant mixture analyses, and male populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":10775,"journal":{"name":"Current Environmental Health Reports","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13402250/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148590925","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}