Organisationseinheit: Deutschland, Umweltbundesamt, Fachgebiet II.1.6 - Expositionsschätzung, gesundheitsbezogene Indikatoren
Lade...
Ursprungsdatum
Stadt
Dessau-Roßlau
Land
ID
ROR Identifier
Publikationen
Spatial resolution of exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5) and the impact on the burden of disease in Germany
(2026) Wallek, Stefan; Langner, Marcel; Plaß, Dietrich; Kienzler, Sarah; Sauter, Tobias
Accurate estimation of the disease burden attributable to ambient particulate matter (PM2.5) requires reliable exposure data with an adequate spatial resolution. While coarse-resolution models are commonly used for national assessments, the impact of spatial resolution on environmental burden of disease (EBD) estimates remains understudied. We compared two modelling approaches for PM2.5 exposure in Germany: a chemical transport model (REM-CALGRID [RCG], 2 × 2 km² resolution) and a high-resolution hybrid geostatistical land-use regression model (PMR, 100 × 100 m² resolution). EBD estimates were calculated for five health outcomes using established concentration-response functions. Across all outcomes, the PMR model consistently produced slightly higher EBD estimates—approximately 2%–3% higher disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) than the coarser RCG model. The difference is due to improved detection of local pollution hotspots and more accurate exposure assignments in the high-resolution model. A larger share of the population was classified into higher exposure categories under the PMR model. Although the added value of high-resolution modelling is limited at national level, it offers clear benefits for small-area analyses and applications in environmental justice and health equity. Our findings support the integration of fine-scale exposure data into public health surveillance and burden of disease (BoD) assessments where feasible. © The Author(s) 2026
Mental health impacts of air pollution, chemicals and noise
(2026) Jiang, Xing; Kutlar Joss, Meltem; Santjer, Chiara; Bathow, Maria; Plaß, Dietrich; Röösli, Martin; European Environmental Agency. European Topic Centre on Human health and the environment
Mental, behavioural, and neurodevelopmental disorders arise from complex genetic, social, psychological, lifestyle, and environmental interactions. This umbrella+ review evaluates evidence on mental health impacts of ambient air pollution, environmental chemicals, and transportation noise, prioritizing systematic reviews and recent high-quality European studies. Long-term air pollution is associated with higher incidence of depression, while short-term peaks exacerbate depressive and psychotic symptoms and increase suicide risk. Chemicals such as second-hand smoke, lead, bisphenol A, and pesticides show consistent links to depression, schizophrenia, and anxiety, particularly with prenatal or childhood exposure. Emerging evidence indicates transportation noise increases risks of depression, anxiety, and childhood ADHD, mainly through stress and sleep disruption. These environmental exposures likely make meaningful population-level contributions to Europe’s mental health burden, especially during sensitive early developmental periods. Prevention should reduce environmental pollution while leveraging the restorative potential of natural environments, with future research addressing long-term, cumulative effects and socioeconomic vulnerability. © European Topic Centre on Human health and the environment
Krankheitslast aufgrund von Passivrauch bei Kindern und Jugendlichen in Deutschland
(2026) Kienzler, Sarah; Tobollik, Myriam; Plaß, Dietrich
Towards a burden of disease research agenda
(2026) Gorasso, Vanessa; Assunção, Ricardo; Charalampous, Periklis; Haagsma, Juanita; Hilderink, Henk; Milicevic, Milena Santric; Pires, Sara Monteiro; Plaß, Dietrich; Lippe, Elena von der; Wyper, Grant; Devleesschauwer, Brecht
Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALY) have become a common metric for assessing the combined effects of morbidity and mortality. However, the lack of resources and/or input data, combined with the complexity of the methodological framework, resulted in major disparities in research capacity and knowledge about burden of disease estimations across Europe. Since 2019, the European Burden of Disease (burden-eu) Network has been acting as a technical platform for strengthening capacity in burden of disease assessments. The burden-eu network developed a forward-looking research agenda, identifying four key burden of disease themes: transparency and availability, method refinement, potential expansions, and specific topics. The research agenda’s priorities can be used to prioritise and guide the design of studies in the burden of disease framework. © The Author(s) 2026.
Beschreibung
Ergebnisse