2022 Environmental Health Risks

While many consumers are actively working to lower their stress levels, a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Georgia explored the benefits of small amounts of stress. According to their findings, enduring low to moderate stress levels may help improve consumers’ resilience and lower their risk for certain mental health conditions. 

“If you’re in an environment where you have some level of stress, you may develop coping mechanisms that will allow you to become a more efficient and effective worker and organize yourself in a way that will help you perform,” said researcher Assaf Oshri. 

Maintaining low stress levels

The researchers analyzed data from over 1,200 young adults enrolled in the Human Connectome Project. They answered questions about their typical stress levels, mental health, and emotions, and they also completed assessments that measured their neurocognitive abilities. 

The researchers learned that participants who were best able to handle low to moderate levels of stress were found to be more resilient and have fewer mental health concerns. While high levels of stress can become detrimental to both physical and mental health, building tolerance to stressful situations can be beneficial to the brain and mental health. 

“It’s like when you keep doing something hard and get a little callus on your continued,” Oshri said. “You trigger your skin to adapt to this pressure you are applying to it. But, if you do too much, you’re going to cut your skin.” 

The researchers gave several examples of some scenarios that may be considered “good” stress: having a strict deadline at work, studying for a big exam, or working late to close a big deal. These events can strengthen consumers’ resilience and make future stressful events easier to endure. From a mental health standpoint, making it through stressful situations can lower the risk of depression and antisocial behaviors. 

While the team isn’t encouraging consumers to seek out stress or to maintain unhealthy stress levels, the study findings do highlight some of the cognitive and mental health benefits associated with being able to tolerate stressful situations. 

“At a certain point, stress becomes toxic,” said Oshri. “Chronic stress, like the stress that comes from living in abject poverty or being abused, can have very bad health and psychological consequences. It affects everything from your immune system, to emotional regulation, to brain functioning. Not all stress is good stress.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine explored the link between crime rates and heart disease. According to their findings, decreased violent crime rates also led to decreased heart disease-related deaths. 

“It’s important to acknowledge the impact of the built environment on health,” said researcher Dr. Lauren Eberly. “Exposure to violent crime appears to be an important social determinant of cardiovascular health within the broader context of the ways in which structural racism harms health.” 

How crime affects heart disease

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from the Illinois Department of Public Health Division of Vital Records from 2000 through 2014. The team looked at rates of violent crime across Chicago’s nearly 80 different community areas and compared that information with rates of heart disease-related deaths. 

Ultimately, the researchers identified a connection between rates of violent crime and heart disease-related deaths. One area across the city experienced a nearly 60% drop in violent crime over the course of the study, which was then linked with a 15% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality. Similarly, a decrease in violent crime that was as low as 10% was linked with an 11% lower risk of heart disease mortality. 

“Because community areas that experienced the smallest decline in crime also experienced the smallest improvements in cardiovascular mortality, pre-existing disparities in mortality between neighborhoods in the city are likely to worsen over time, especially with the recent rise in crime rates in the United States,” said Eberly. “While these results represent one large, urban U.S. city that could potentially not be generalizable to other cities, we suspect that these results are likely reflective of many other large urban cities across the country.” 

The team plans to work more in this area to better understand how race and violent crime affect consumers' health. 

“It is possible that different types of crime rates in a neighborhood may have different relationships with community health, which needs to be investigated further,” said researcher Dr. Sameed Khatana. “Even if violent crime rates in a neighborhood are a marker of cardiovascular health, rather than the specific cause of cardiovascular events, the rise in any type of violent crime is concerning as it may identify neighborhoods where residents are especially vulnerable to worsening cardiovascular health in years to come.” 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has decided against imposing a total ban on a group of potentially dangerous chemicals called phthalates, which are commonly found in fast-food packaging and other food handling products like plastic gloves. The decision did not sit well with environmental organizations and scientists who have been trying to get the chemicals removed for years.

The FDA’s decision was in response to three petitions. One specifically requested that the FDA limit the use of 28 phthalates.

The packaging aspect may be of particular concern because some fast-food chains preform and partially cook their products for local stores, which prepare the foods when the items are eventually ordered. That leaves the food sitting in plastic packaging for an extended period of time. 

“FDA’s failure to ban phthalates in food packaging and processing is outrageous. We have known for a long time the impact these chemicals can have on pregnant women and children, and they disproportionately impact people of color,” Laurie Valeriano, executive director of Toxic-Free Future, told ConsumerAffairs. “Stopping the use of the most dangerous chemicals is the only way to prevent unnecessary harm and disease.”

The FDA said it is aware of concerns raised about the possible health effects of exposure to high levels of phthalates. However, at least for now, the agency said it is not aware of evidence that the dietary exposure to phthalates resulting from their use as food contact substances poses a safety risk.  

On the positive side

Although the FDA isn't acting right now, it doesn’t seem to be slamming the door on the issue either. In its announcement, the agency said it will continue to seek data about phthalate use and safety in food contact applications.

“The FDA is generally aware of updated toxicological and use information on phthalates that is publicly available. Nevertheless, stakeholders may have access to information that is not always made public,” the agency said.

The FDA is seeking scientific data and information on the specific current food contact uses, use levels, dietary exposure, and safety data for the remaining eight phthalates that are still authorized for use as plasticizers in food contact applications.

"We may use this information to update the dietary exposure estimates and safety assessments for the permitted food contact uses of phthalates,” FDA officials stated.

Recent studies have highlighted the physical and mental health benefits associated with spending time in outdoor spaces. 

Now, researchers from the Hospital Del Mar Medical Research Institute have found that living close to green areas may lower the risk of stroke by more than 15%. 

“The study demonstrates the importance of environmental determinants in stroke risk,” said researcher Dr. Carla Avellaneda. “Given that it is predicted that the incidence, mortality, and disability attributed to the disease will increase in the coming years, it is important to understand all the risk factors involved. People who are surrounded by greater levels of greenery at their place of residence are protected against the onset of stroke.” 

Green spaces improve cardiovascular health

For the study, the researchers analyzed levels of three pollutants in Catalonia, Spain, between 2016 and 2017: particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and soot particles. The study included information on 7.5 million residents, including data on the available green spaces in their neighborhoods and the impact of these factors on their cardiovascular health. 

The researchers learned that pollution levels had a close link to stroke risk. When participants lived in heavily populated areas with a lot of car traffic, their risk of stroke was higher.

The study showed that the risk of stroke increased by 4% for every 10 micrograms per cubic meter increase of NO2. Similarly, every 5 micrograms per cubic meter increase of PM2.5 increased the risk of stroke by 4%, while each 1 microgram per cubic meter increase of soot particles raised the risk of stroke by 5%. 

“It should be borne in mind that, unlike other air pollutants, which have various sources, NO2 is mainly caused in road traffic,” said researcher Cathryn Tonne. “Therefore, if we really want to reduce the multiple risks that this pollutant poses to people’s health, we need to implement bold measures to reduce car use.” 

On the other end of the spectrum, those who lived in areas with less car traffic and more green spaces experienced notable differences in their stroke risk. The more green spaces that were close to the participants’ homes, the lower their risk of stroke. 

Ultimately, the team found that participants could lower their risk of stroke by as much as 16% by living closer to outdoor green areas. They believe more outdoor spaces help consumers stay physically active, maintain healthy stress levels, and make social interaction easier. 

“People who are surrounded by greater levels of greenery at their place of residence are protected against the onset of stroke,” Dr. Avellaneda said. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Missouri-Columbia explored the long-term link between mental health and heart disease. According to their findings, adolescents who are more optimistic and positive are less likely to develop heart disease as adults. 

“Here, we are recognizing the role of the environment and lifestyle in heart disease,” said researcher Anand Chockalingam. “Some prior research has shown that more than 80% of all heart attacks can be prevented with a few simple lifestyle interventions at any point in the individual’s life. 

“Although a heart attack may occur at the age of 55, the underlying build-up of plaque or atherosclerosis starts much earlier, often in teenage years. By exploring healthy habits and connecting with optimistic peers in the impressionable teenage years, it becomes intuitive to sustain a good lifestyle.” 

How mental health affects heart health

The researchers analyzed data from over 20,000 participants enrolled in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) study. Participants were first surveyed at 15 years old about their psychological, social, economic, and physical health. The team followed up with the participants every few years with new surveys.

The researchers identified a clear link between psychological wellness in adolescence and heart health in adulthood. Participants who reported feeling more positive overall and generally optimistic when the study began were less likely to struggle with heart health by the end of the study. 

“Adolescents are simultaneously understanding the world as well as their own inner nature and mindset,” Chockalingam said. “Therefore, parents and other caregivers have a substantial role in their lifetime resilience and outlook of children. The biggest legacy that anyone can pass on for subsequent generations in optimism.” 

Finding ways to improve well-being

The researchers hope their findings will help experts come up with strategies to detect and prevent cardiovascular disease. 

“There are several step-by-step techniques established by industrial engineers that help with early detection of problems in the manufacturing and service industries,” said researcher Sharan Srinivas. “This is an opportunity to adapt some of these techniques to enable health care practitioners to monitor the well-being of an adolescent over time, because that’s the formative stage where your outlook on life is established, and it doesn’t change much after that.

“We want to use these techniques to help predict the long-term risk for CVD among adolescents, and uncover the impact that underlying factors can have on a person’s chance to develop CVD, including the influence of a person’s well-being.” 

Though recent studies have highlighted the environmental benefits associated with walking or biking, a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Surrey found some risks associated with bike trailers.

Their findings showed that when parents use bike trailers for their kids, they could be exposing their children to higher levels of air pollution. 

“It’s unfortunate that the very people who help minimize pollution by cycling rather than driving can be exposing their children to higher levels of pollution, and I’d encourage adults pulling bike trailers to use covers in heavy traffic,” said researcher Prashant Kumar. “With the use of electric-assisted cargo bikes growing rapidly in Europe, it’s crucial traffic planners ensure road infrastructure is designed to enable safe use of sustainable transport options.” 

Keeping kids safe from pollution

The researchers simulated the conditions of an adult riding a bike with a young child sitting in a trailer to understand how air pollution affects kids differently than their parents in these situations. They modeled trips around school drop-off and pick-up times and tracked several different pollutants. 

The researchers found that kids sitting in bike trailers were more susceptible to air pollution than their parents – primarily because of the height of these bike attachments. The study showed that kids were exposed to 14% more pollutants sitting in bike trailers than their parents were on the bikes. 

The researchers also learned that those figures spiked in the afternoon hours compared with the morning. During bike rides home from school, the kids were exposed to nearly 20% more pollutants than their parents. Pollution exposure was also higher for the kids when passing through high-traffic areas. 

To help prevent such high levels of pollution exposure, the researchers recommend that parents get covers for their bike trailers. These protective coverings were found to cut kids’ exposure to pollutants in half – especially during times with high traffic. 

Moving forward, the team plans to do more work in this area to better understand how pollution and traffic patterns in different regions can affect kids’ exposure when riding in bike trailers.