Edward C. De Fabo, PhD Department of Environmental & Occupational Health

2. Arctic Health and a Changing Physical Environment: New Perspectives on Increased UVB, Ozone Depletion and Increased Warming Edward C. De Fabo, PhD Department of Environmental & Occupational Health The George Washington University Washington, DC. 20037

3. GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE: GLOBAL WARMING + STRATOSPHERIC OZONE DEPLETION

4. Health Impacts on Arctic Populations • The nature of climate related changes and variability will most likely impact populations living in close association with the land • In remote communities • In communities already facing health-related challenges.

5. Health Impacts on Arctic Populations-continued • Direct health impacts may result from changes in the incidence of extreme events such as • Avalanches • Storms • Floods • Rockslides

6. Health Impacts on Arctic Populations-continued Potential Negative Effects - Increased summer heat stress - Accidents associated with unpredictable ice and weather conditions - Increased mental and social stress related to changes in the environment & life-style

7. Health Impacts on Arctic Populations-continued • Changes in bacterial and viral proliferation • Changes in vector-borne disease outbreaks • Changes in access to good quality drinking water sources

8. Health Impacts on Arctic Populations-continued Some regions may experience: - Changes in the rates of illness resulting from impacts on sanitation infrastructure - Changes in food security through changes in animal distribution and accessibility leading to changes in diet - Changes in traditional diet may cause a shift to a more “western” diet and an associated risk of diabetes, cancer and heart disease.

9. Health Impacts on Arctic Populations-continued Potential Positive Effects • Reduction in cold-induced injuries e.g. frostbite and hypothermia • Reduction in cold stress. • Possible reduction in number of winter deaths

10. Chapter 15 Human Health Lead Authors: Jim Berner, Christopher Furgal Contributing Authors: Peter Bjerregaard, Mike Bradley, Tina Curtis, Edward De Fabo, Juhani Hassi, William Keatinge, Siv Kvernmo, Simo Nayha, Hannu Rintamaki, John Warren

11. State of the Arctic-NOAA ReportOctober 2006

12. State of the Arctic-NOAAOctober 2006 • Observations… highlighted…the sensitivity and complexity of the Arctic physical environment. • Recommends “ … to maintain and expand … a coordinated Arctic observation network, … (e.g., ACIA, 2004, 2005; SEARCH, 2001, 2005; DAMOCLES, 2005). • Recommends long-term monitoring of key parameters…to enable the development of more accurate models and predictions of its future state. • “The incentive for supporting …these advancements is high, given the relevance of the physical conditions to other key elements of the Arctic environment and global climate system.”

14. The potential impacts of environmental changes on human systems are characterized by focusing on three core areas of impact and adaptation • Human health • Human welfare • Human settlements

15. SIX CATEGORIES OF HEALTH STRESSORS: • Extreme heat and cold • Extreme weather events (e.g. storms and floods) • Air pollution health effects • Water- and food-borne diseases • Vector- and rodent-borne diseases • Increase in UV-B radiation

16. Climate change could cause changes in the incidence of infectious diseases in Arctic regions • Temperature could increase sensitive foodbornediseases such as • gastroenteritis, • paralytic shellfish poisoning and • botulism. • Zoonoses: Incidence of animal to human diseases by • changing the population and range of animal hosts and insect vectors. • Flooding events may result in outbreaks of waterborne infection, such as • Giardia lamblia or • Cryptospordium parvum. • Modified from Parkinson and Butler, Int J Circumpolar Health. 2005 Dec;64(5):478-86.Links

17. Climate change could cause changes in the incidence of infectious diseases in Arctic regions-continued • A change in rodent and fox populations may result in an increase in • -rabies or • -echinococcosis. • Temperature and humidity influence the distribution and density of • many arthropod vectorswhich in turn may influence the incidence and northern range of vector borne diseases such as West Nile virus.

20. In 6 days (3-9 Sept. 2007) 69 000 sq mi melted in the Arctic 2007 has already broken the record for the lowest amount of sea ice ever recorded, say scientists, smashing the old record set in 2005. Courtesy ABC News)

21. Sea Ice Loss 2007 1979 to 2000 Modified from James Overland et al, 2008. NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Seattle, Wash. http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2008/images/5-6-08_Overland.pdf

22. Extreme Weather and Infectious Diseases Flooding Damage to sanitation infrastructure Outbreaks of water and food borne diseases cholera, Enteric diseases, hepatitis A, vector borne diseases Modified from Alan J. Parkinson Ph.D Arctic Investigations Program Centers for Diseases Control & Prevention Anchorage, Alaska

23. Alan J. Parkinson Ph.D Arctic Investigations Program Centers for Diseases Control & PreventionAnchorage, Alaska Climate Change and Infectious Diseases Increase in insect and rodent vectors -Malaria, dengue, yellow fever, hantavirus syndrome, Lyme disease

24. MALARIA: anopheles

25. YELLOW FEVER-Aedes aegypti

26. DENGUE FEVER-Aedes aegypti

27. DISTRIBUTION OF DENGUE FEVER VIRUS

30. Human West Nile Virus Clinical Cases in Canada, 2007

32. STRATOSPHERIC OZONE DEPLETION and INCREASED UV-B RADIATION

33. Decrease in Antarctic Ozone

34. ANTARCTIC OZONE HOLE-2006. courtesy NASA.

35. Area that will be affected by formation of Arctic Ozone Hole is above the redline if similar in size to Antarctic hole.

38. ULTRAVIOLET RANGES

39. UVB = 320 nm - 280 nm UVA = 320 nm - 400 nm UVC = < 280 nm

41. THERE IS LITTLE DOUBT THAT STRATOSPHERIC OZONE OVER THE ARCTIC AND SUB-ARCTIC IS DECLINING