This presentation contains the shreds of evidence of climate change along with the impacts of changing climate on animal and human health. International agencies working on mitigation and adaptation steps.

1. 1
VPE- 708
Advances in Environmental Pollution Control

2. Climate change:
Impact on Animal and
Human health
Dr. Hina Malik
Ph.D., V.P.H.E.(2019-2020)
GADVASU, India

3. What is climate and climate
change?
CLIMATE
Conditions of the atmosphere at
a particular location over a long
period of time.
It is the long-term summation
of the atmospheric elements:
▪ Solar radiation
▪ Temperature
▪ Humidity
▪ Precipitation
▪ Atmospheric pressure
▪ Wind
3
CLIMATE CHANGE
“A change of climate which is
attributed directly or indirectly to
human activity that alters the
composition of the global
atmosphere and which is in addition
to natural climate variability
observed over comparable time
periods”
(UNFCCC, 2011).

4. 4
Evidence for rapid climate change are compelling!
Global temperature rise Warming oceans Shrinking Ice sheets Glaciers Retreat
Extreme weather conditionsSea level rise Ocean acidification

5. 5
Global temperature rise
•The planet's average surface temperature has risen about 1.71 degrees
Fahrenheit since the late 19th century
(https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/)
•Largely by increased carbon dioxide and other human-made emissions
into the atmosphere.
(https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/monitoring-references/faq/indicators.php)
•Most of the warming occurred in the past 35 years, with the five warmest
years on record taking place since 2010.
•2016 was the warmest year on record, and 2019 second warmest.
(https://www.giss.nasa.gov/research/news/20170118/)
•Highest and lowest temperatures on Earth are likely more than 100°F
(55°C) apart.
(https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate)

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History of global temperature increase:
NOAA (red) NASA (tan)
Global temperature rise
The graph shows average annual global
temperatures since 1880
(https://www.noaa.gov/)

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Warming Oceans
•Oceans-largest solar energy collector on earth.
•Absorb large amounts of heat without a significant increase in
the temperature.
•Main source –sunlight, Secondary- clouds, water vapor, and
greenhouse gases.
•More than 90 percent of the warming that has happened on
earth over the past 50 years has occurred in the ocean.
(Johnson et al, 2018)
•Upper oceans (700mtrs) accounts for about 63 percent
•700 meters down -30 percent.
(http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/OC5/3M_HEAT_CONTENT/)

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Ocean heat content over time.
Warming Oceans
Long-term average global ocean heat content in the top 700
meters of the ocean.
(https://www.noaa.gov/)

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Microbiome shifts due to ocean temperature
rise: The shifting microbial complexity indicates
the impact of climate change on the coral
microbiome, host health, and population stability
on coral reefs.

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Shrinking Ice sheets
•The Greenland ice sheet - considerable acceleration in ice loss since
the year 2000.
•Antarctic: Annual ice lost increased by six-fold
1979-1990 - 40 gross tonnage per year
2009-2017 - 252 Gt per year
Summer sea ice reached its lowest and second lowest on record in
2017 and 2018.
Since 2016, ice extent in the month of February (max.) and September
(min.) – below average record of past 30 years.
•Arctic : Since 2015, sea-ice extent in September below average of
past 30 years.
Multi-year ice has almost disappeared.
(https://public.wmo.int/en)

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Shrinking Ice sheets
These images show the glacier in February 1992 (left) and
October 2000 (right). Estimated flow speeds are marked by color
(Joughin et al., 2004)
(https://nsidc.org/cryosphere/sotc/ice_sheets.html)(Polar Science Centre, University of Washington)
Graph shows reduction in sea ice extent and multi-year
ice volume

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Sea Level Rise
•Global sea level rose about 8 inches in the last century.
•The rate in the last two decades, doubled that of the last century,
accelerating slightly every year.
•Global mean sea-level rise rate:
May 2014 -2019 - 5 mm per year
2007-2016- 4 mm per year
•Indonesia is relocating its capital city from Jakarta, as it is
currently sinking by up to 6.7 inches per year, making it especially
vulnerable to sea-level rise.
•Twelve nations have more than 10 million people living on land
at risk from sea-level rise, including China, India, Bangladesh,
Vietnam, Indonesia and Japan.
The ocean is coming for us!
(https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/sea-level/)

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Sea Level Rise
Global sea levels have already risen by 8 inches (200 mm) since 1880.
(NASA's Earth Observatory)
Areas that would flood (marked in red) due to 1-
meter sea-level rise.
(Image: NASA)

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Extreme Weather Conditions
•More than 90 % of the natural disasters are related to weather.
•Dominant disasters are storms and flooding-led to highest economic
losses.
•Heatwaves and drought have led to human losses, intensification of forest
fires and loss of harvest.
•2019 season yielded 6 hurricanes, including three major ones
Barry(Louisiana), Dorian(Bahamas), Lorenzo(subtropical Atlantic)- $22
billion economic losses.
(NOAA)
•2019-20 wildfires:
Indonesia (35,000 fires), Africa (400,000 fires), Brazil (45,000 sq km),
Russia (100,000 sq km), Australia (110,000 sq km).
(https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-wildfires)

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(https://iri.columbia.edu/)
Drought Risk map
Extreme Weather Conditions
(Landsea et al., 2010)
Hurricane numbers show an increasing trend

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Ocean Acidification
•Ocean is becoming more acidic by absorbing atmospheric Carbon
dioxide.
•CO2 absorbed by the upper layer of the oceans is increasing by about 2
billion tons per year.
•Acidity of surface ocean waters has increased by about 30 percent.
(http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/co2/story/What+is+Ocean+Acidification%3F)
Ocean pH has dropped from 8.2 to 8.1 since the start of the industrial
era, and it is expected to fall by another 0.3–0.4 pH units by the end of
the 21st century.
•Reduces the ability of many aquatic organisms to build their shells and
skeletons.
(public.wmo.int)

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Ocean Acidification
(Global Ocean Data Analysis Project)
Estimated change in sea water pH caused by human created
CO2 between the 1700s and the 1990s
(http://www.ccdatacenter.org/PageFact.aspx?FactPageID=13&Categories
=YES)
Ocean acidification due to atmospheric carbon dioxode,

18. Natural
⪢Solar irradiation
⪢Ocean’s natural
cooling and warming
cycles
⪢Volcanic activity
Anthropogenic
⪢ Greenhouse gases
⪢ Sulfur emissions
⪢ Black carbon
⪢ Aerosols
⪢ Land alteration from
agriculture and
deforestation
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Causes of Climate change

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•The intensity of the sunlight can cause either warming (stronger
solar intensity) or cooling (weaker solar intensity).
•Natural 11-year cycle of small ups and downs
•Changes in the shape of Earth’s orbit as well as the tilt and
position of Earth’s axis can also affect the amount of sunlight
reaching Earth’s surface.
•Over the last 11-year solar cycle, solar output has been lower
than it has been since the mid-20th century, and therefore does not
explain the recent warming of the earth
Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis, IPCC (2013).
•In the past, “Little Ice Age” - partially caused by a low solar activity phase
from 1645 to 1715.
Natural causes
Since1978, sun’s energy followed its natural 11-year cycle of small ups and
downs, but with no net increase (bottom). Over the same period, global
temperature has risen markedly (top).
USGCRP (2009) In continuation

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Little Ice Age period

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•Light-colored objects: (snow and clouds) reflect most sunlight, while darker objects and
surfaces, like the ocean, forests, or soil, tend to absorb more sunlight.
•Volcanic particles - reflect sunlight - cool the surface of the planet by a few tenths of a
degree, known as “cooling aerosols”
(Quin et al., 2013)
•Earth as a whole has an albedo of about 30%, meaning that 70% of the sunlight that reaches
the planet is absorbed.
(Advancing the Science of Climate Changes ,NRC (2010))
•Deforestation, reforestation, desertification, and urbanization often contribute to
changes in climate in the places they occur.
•Human-generated aerosols have an overall net cooling effect offsetting about one-third of
the total warming effect associated with human greenhouse gas emissions.
(Climate Change Impacts in the United States: The Third National Climate Assessment, (USGCRP (2014). )
Natural Causes

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Anthropogenic Causes
•Green house gases
Water vapor. Most abundant greenhouse gas
Carbon dioxide: Increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration by human activities
More than a third since the Industrial Revolution
Methane: Through natural sources and human activities
25 times more effective greenhouse gas but less abundant in the atmosphere.
Nitrous oxide: 298 times more effective greenhouse gas than CO2
Produced by soil cultivation practices
Commercial and organic fertilizers, fossil fuel combustion & biomass burning.
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Synthetic compounds entirely of industrial origin
Cause destruction of the ozone layer
Now largely regulated by international agreement
(Bracmort, 2010)
In continuation

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Anthropogenic Causes
Black carbon
•Solid particle or aerosol
•Contributes to warming of the atmosphere.
•Directly absorb Infrared Radiation, incoming and reflected sunlight
•Deposition on snow and ice
(EPA assessment, Methane and Black Carbon Impacts on the Arctic)
Sulfates & Aerosols
•Cooling by reflecting sunlight
•Sulfate Aerosols interact with clouds, affect their formation, dissipation, reflectivity, and
precipitation rates.
Clouds can contribute both to cooling, by reflecting sunlight, and warming, by trapping outgoing
heat.
(www.epa.gov/climatechangescience/)
In continuation

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Anthropogenic Causes
Deforestation
•Forests, cover 31% of our planet, store large amounts of carbon
•Every year 46-58 thousand square miles of forest are lost to deforestation, which is equal
to an astounding 48 football fields of forest disappearing every minute.
(http://climate.org/deforestation-and-climate-change/)
•On burning, stored carbon is released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide
• Averaged over 2015 – 2017, global loss of tropical forests contributed about 4.8 billion
tonnes of carbon dioxide per year i.e. about 8-10% of annual human emissions of carbon
dioxide
(WRI 2018)

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26. Impact on
Animal
health
26

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Direct effects
Heat stress
Metabolic
disorders Oxidative stress Immunosuppression
Death

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Bernabucci, 2019

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Homeothermic
animal
Increases Heat loss
& limits heat
production
Increases sweating
and panting,
reduces feed intake
Metabolic disorders
(Shearer, 1999).(Basiricò et al., 2009).
Metabolic Disorders

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Relationship between ambient temperature
and heat production of farm animals.
Lower and upper critical temperature of farm animals at different age
or body weight
(FASS, 2010).(Babinszky et al., 2011)

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Schematic representation of the potential mode of action of inconvenient thermal environment on the
production potential and product quality of livestock
(Babinszky et al., 2011)

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Oxidative stress
(Knoefler et al., 2014).
Reports!
•Total antioxidant status concentrations in serum of heifers
were lower in summer than in winter postpartum periods.
(Mirzad et al., 2018)
•Increased oxidant and decreased antioxidant molecules
in blood during the hot summer season have been reported
both in dairy and buffalo cows.
(Lykkesfeldt and Svendsen, 2007)
•Heat stress has been associated with an increase of
antioxidant enzyme activities.
(Bernabucci et al., 2002; Akbarian
et al., 2016).Balance between oxidants and antioxidants molecules in
animal health and disease

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Immunosuppression
Heat stress
Various
pathways
Species
Breed
Genotype
Social status
Acclimation
level
Intensity &
duration of
stress
Reports!
•Chronic exposure to heat stress impaired the
immune response in avian species
(Regnier and Kelley,1981)
•Severe heat stress reduced colostral
immunoglobulins (IgG and IgA) in dairy cows.
(Nardone et al.,1997)
•Dramatic depression in lymphocyte function in
severely heat stressed peri-parturient dairy cows.
(Lacetera et al., 2005)
•Heat + LPS would activate mortality-related
functions and decrease expression in signaling
pathways.
(Monson et al., 2018)
•High temperatures impaired significantly the
functionality of neutrophils, protective for mammary
gland, causing increased occurrence of mastitis in
summers.
(Lecchi et al., 2016)

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Death
High
Temperature
Heat
stroke
Heat
exhaustion
Heat
syncope
Heat
cramps
Organ
failure
Death
•Reports
•Increase of mortality in Mecheri sheep during
summer season.
(Purusothaman et al., 2008)
•Summer mortality in dairy cows was greater during
days in a heat waves.
(Vitali et al., 2015)
•During severe and prolonged heat waves over 35,000
human and thousands of pigs, poultry, and rabbits
died in the Brittany.
(http://lists.envirolink.org/pipermail/ar-news/ Week-of-Mon-
20030804/004707.html)

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Indirect effects
Climate
change
•Temperature
•Global wind
•Precipitation
•Relative
humidity
Vectors
•Reproduction
•Population
density
Fungi
•Mycotoxins
Bacteria &
Parasite
Life cycle
(Lacetera, 2018)
•Reports!
•Extensive spread of Culicoides imicola in
summers, the major vector of the
bluetongue virus.
(Wittmann et al., 2001)
•Growth of fungi and the associated
mycotoxin production are closely related to
the temperature and degree of moisture.
(Frank, 1991)
•During Summers, gastrointestinal
nematodes are prominent parasites of
livestock, causing mortality and morbidity.
(Lacetera, 2018)

36. Impact on
Human
health
36

37. Asthma,
Respiratory
Allergies, and
Airway Diseases
Cancer
Cardiovascular
Disease and
Stroke
Effects of Heat
Foodborne
Diseases and
Nutrition
Human
Developmental
Effects
Mental Health
and Stress-
Related
Disorders
Neurological
Diseases and
Disorders
Vectorborne and
Zoonotic
Diseases
Waterborne
Diseases
Weather-
Related
Morbidity and
Mortality
Includes………

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Asthma, Respiratory Allergies and Airway Diseases
•Ground level ozone and fine particle- trigger chest pains,
coughing, throat irritation, and congestion- reduce lung function
and cause inflammation of the lungs
•Carbon dioxide and temperatures- aeroallergen distribution,
amplifying the allergenic potential of pollen and mold spores
•Precipitation -increase in mold spores
•Droughts - increased dust and particulate matter
(Shea,et al., 2008)

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Cancer
•Exposure to carcinogenic chemicals- following heavy
rainfall or flooding and by increased volatilization of
chemicals under conditions of increased temperature
•Depletion of stratospheric ozone - increase in UV
exposure and temperature- skin cancer and cataracts.
•Poor air quality and increased air pollutants- lung cancer
(Hill, et al., 2009)

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Cardiovascular disorders
•Extreme cold and extreme heat - dysrhythmias and stroke
•Increased ozone concentration -harms pulmonary gas
exchange and causes stress on the heart- heart attacks
•Particulate matter- systematic inflammation, compromised
heart function, deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism,
and blood vessel dysfunction
•Extreme weather events- stress and anxiety - heart attacks,
sudden cardiac death, and stress-related cardiomyopathy
(Jerrett, et al.,2009)
Climate change
&
Hypertension

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Effects of heat
•Heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and death, especially
in vulnerable populations.
•Urban heat island effect- heat trapping in urban
buildings.
(Bocchi, et al., 2009)

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Foodborne diseases and Nutrition
•Extreme weather- crop destruction, interrupt transportation reduce the
availability of food.
• Pesticides- decreased nutritional content
•Droughts- crop pests, mold (Aflatoxin)
(Nord, et al., 2008)
•Extreme weather - contaminate crops and fisheries with heavy metals,
chemicals, and toxicants
•Increased sea temperature – Vibrio spp. - seafood-borne diseases
(Lake, et al., 2009)

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•Malnutrition - low birth weight and developmental deficits
•Mercury and lead in seafood, - lead to developmental changes
•Pesticides exposure- leads to developmental changes
•Extreme weather events - increase toxins, heavy metals, inorganic
arsenic, & organic compounds in human environments- human
carcinogens - alter the immune system.
•Floodings - biotoxins in seafood, lead to developmental changes in
foetus
(Gosling, et al., 2009)
Human developmental effects

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•Extreme weather events- Stress - decline in mental health
•Prolonged heat or cold events create chronic stress situations that
can cause health problems
•Damage or loss of property, displacement, death or injury - mental
health problems and stress-related disorders
(Roeleveld, N, et al., 2008)
Mental Health and Stress-Related Disorders

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•Malnutrition
• Exposure to hazardous chemicals, biotoxins, and
metals in the air, water, and food
•Floods/ Drought- pest management- pesticides-
developmental disorders
•Algal blooms -neurotoxins in seafood - degradation of
the brain, respiratory distress, and death
(Costello, et al., 2009)
Neurological Diseases and Disorders

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•Increased temperatures - increases vectors
•Change in incubation period of pathogens in invertebrate vectors due
to precipitation and temperature can alter transmission.
•Disruption and movement of human population can expand
distribution of pathogens and increase exposure routes.
•Decline in biodiversity alters predator-prey relationships - decline in
the predators of vectors can increase vector populations.
(Bacon, et al., 2008)
Vectorborne and Zoonotic Diseases

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The long-term climate changes and increased climate
variability will affect the different infectious disease risks

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Model predictions in the Tibetan Plateau and North America show
increasing prokaryotic diversity in both regions with the prediction of
increasing temperature. Ladau et al, 2019
Ecological and Evolutionary Science

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Predicted range of the mosquito Aedes aegypti in 2080 if the world exceeds Paris Agreement goals to
reduce warming and green house gas emission.
Rob Jordan, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, 2019

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Antibiotic resistance increases with increasing temperature. (A) A heatmap
of mean normalized antibiotic resistance for E. coli for all antibiotics across
the USA. (B) A heatmap of 30-year average minimum temperature (oC)
across the USA
Macfadden et al., 2017

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•Floods – increased effluent pathogens
•Changes in ocean pH, nutrient and contaminants - degradation of water
quality for consumption and activities.
•Floods & Poor sewage treatment-waterborne diseases.
•Lack of water – crop failure - malnutrition, starvation, population
displacement, and resource conflict.
(https://www.niehs.nih.gov/climatereport/)
Waterborne Diseases

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•Flooding:
Increased exposure to toxic chemicals in runoff
Waterborne diseases
Change in ecosystem
•Hurricanes:
Death and injury
Infrastructure damage
Stress and anxiety
•Drought
Malnutrition and Starvation
Death
(National center for Health statistics Database)
Weather-Related Morbidity and
Mortality

53. Mitigation & Adaptation
⪢ Mitigation – reducing climate
change – involves reducing the
flow of heat-trapping
greenhouse gases into the
atmosphere
⪢ Adaptation – adapting to life in
a changing climate – involves
adjusting to actual or expected
future climate.
53

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55. Mitigation measures that can be taken to
avoid the increase of pollutant emissions:
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•Practice Energy efficiency
•Greater use of renewable energy
•Electrification of industrial processes
•Efficient means of transport implementation: electric
public transport, bicycle, shared cars …
•Carbon tax and emissions markets

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Adaptation measures, to help
reducing vulnerability to the
consequences of climate change:
•More secure facility locations and infrastructures
•Landscape restoration (natural landscape) and
reforestation
•Flexible and diverse cultivation to be prepared for
natural catastrophes
•Research and development on possible
catastrophes, temperature behavior, etc.
•Preventive and precautionary measures
(evacuation plans, health issues, etc.)

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International Agencies

58. International Agencies
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Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
The IPCC is the umbrella organization.
It assembles and synthesizes the work of some 2,000 scientists
from about 150 countries.
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change
The UNFCCC is a treaty that was negotiated at the 1992 Earth
Summit in Rio de Janiero, was approved by 189 countries, and
went into effect in March 1994.

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World Meteorological Organization
The WMO is the U.N.-based international organization for
cooperation among national weather agencies on all sorts of
weather-related projects.
United Nations Environment Programme
UNEP is the administrative umbrella for most major UN
environmental efforts, including those on climate change
International Agencies

60. “We are the first generation to be able to end
poverty, and the last generation that can take
steps to avoid the worst impact of climate
change.
Future generations will judge us harshly if we
fail to uphold our moral and historical
responsibilities.”
Ban Ki-moon
Secretary-General
United Nations
60