PL7 | Air quality, Heat and Health in the Mediterranean
Air quality, Heat and Health in the Mediterranean
Conveners: Francesca Costabile, Tareq Hussein, Christos Giannaros

The objective of this session is to provide an interdisciplinary forum for discussions of our current state of knowledge about the interplay between multiple natural and anthropogenic environmental risks including heat and pollution and their impacts on human society (in a one-health approach) in the Mediterranean. This is one of the most controversial topics in current research. The Mediterranean region is affected by frequent dust episodes (originating from the Sahara region and crossing from South to North) and anthropogenic pollution (originating from South Europe and crossing from North to South). Therefore, air pollution in the Mediterranean region imposes complex physical-chemical characteristics for aerosols. At the same time, the accelerated warming and increase in the frequency, intensity and duration of heat extremes in the Mediterranean basin result in more stressful bioclimatic conditions. Air pollution is one of the leading environmental risk factors for human health globally, especially concerning ambient fine particulate matter, ozone, and some non-criteria pollutants that are considered to have the highest toxicity such as metals, organics, black carbon, allergens, and their partitioning in both fine and ultrafine aerosol particles. This threat is magnified when combined with elevated heat conditions due to complex interactions which are not being fully understood yet. The assessment of the compound environmental risks of heat and air pollution on human and planetary health is challenging. An emerging consensus suggests that the time has come for science to establish novel transdisciplinary research partnerships based on cross-sectoral collaborations between different expertise, such as climate, air quality, biodiversity, meteorology, climatology, toxicology, physiology and epidemiology, governance and risk management. It is necessary to develop significant scientific evidence to guide the development of new recommendations, policies, and legislation. Rethinking science is necessary to meet today's priorities.

The objective of this session is to provide an interdisciplinary forum for discussions of our current state of knowledge about the interplay between multiple natural and anthropogenic environmental risks including heat and pollution and their impacts on human society (in a one-health approach) in the Mediterranean. This is one of the most controversial topics in current research. The Mediterranean region is affected by frequent dust episodes (originating from the Sahara region and crossing from South to North) and anthropogenic pollution (originating from South Europe and crossing from North to South). Therefore, air pollution in the Mediterranean region imposes complex physical-chemical characteristics for aerosols. At the same time, the accelerated warming and increase in the frequency, intensity and duration of heat extremes in the Mediterranean basin result in more stressful bioclimatic conditions. Air pollution is one of the leading environmental risk factors for human health globally, especially concerning ambient fine particulate matter, ozone, and some non-criteria pollutants that are considered to have the highest toxicity such as metals, organics, black carbon, allergens, and their partitioning in both fine and ultrafine aerosol particles. This threat is magnified when combined with elevated heat conditions due to complex interactions which are not being fully understood yet. The assessment of the compound environmental risks of heat and air pollution on human and planetary health is challenging. An emerging consensus suggests that the time has come for science to establish novel transdisciplinary research partnerships based on cross-sectoral collaborations between different expertise, such as climate, air quality, biodiversity, meteorology, climatology, toxicology, physiology and epidemiology, governance and risk management. It is necessary to develop significant scientific evidence to guide the development of new recommendations, policies, and legislation. Rethinking science is necessary to meet today's priorities.