Climate change and health – Focus topic of the new UMID issue

The latest issue of the magazine "UMID: Umwelt und Mensch – Informationsdienst" provides information about climate change consequences relevant to health. The issue 2/2015 is consciously published around the time the UN climate summit is taking place from 30 November to 11 December in Paris.

UMID issue 2/2015 (click to download the latest issue in PDF-format - in German. You will be re-directed to the homepage of the Federal Environment Agency.)

Does the exposure to ultraviolet radiation increase as a consequence of climate change? Is man's leisure behaviour changing? The protection against UV radiation is a key topic for the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) – thus, climate change is, too.

One question of the new UMID issue is, for instance: How can the human body form sufficient vitamin D and simultaneously be protected against the harmful effects of UV radiation? On the one hand, UV radiation stimulates the body's own formation of vitamin D; on the other hand, UV radiation is the main cause of skin cancer. Together with the Alliance for UV-Protection, the BfS has succeeded in bringing together scientific authorities, expert and professional associations dealing with radiation protection, health, risk evaluation, medicine, and nutritional sciences. Following an intensive debate, they achieved a consensus about a jointly supported recommendation. That was not an easy undertaking – as can be seen from the report in the latest issue.

More topics on "Climate change and health":

• Climate change and pollen allergy: How is it possible for cities and municipalities to reduce allergenic plants in public spaces?
• Control of the Oak Processionary Moth for the protection of health
• Influence of climate change on the biotropy of the weather and the health of the population in Germany
• What are the benefits of a heat warning system, UV index, pollen count and ozone forecast for the population?
• Effects of climate change on human health – results of the vulnerability network
• The influence of climate change on human health – a survey of UMID articles 2009 to 2015

Effects of electromagnetic fields in digital radio networks

Under the heading “Effects of electromagnetic fields of digital radio network devices on users”, Dr. Blanka Pophof presents the level of knowledge of possible biological and health effects of radio devices working according to the TETRA standard. Such devices are used in particular by Security Authorities and Organisations (BOS). The exposure of users was investigated in a research project conducted by the BfS. A research project conducted at the Charité Berlin examined the effects of the brain activity of users while they were awake and during sleep.

Furthermore the authors of the latest issue deal with the lessons learnt from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, with the fine dust pollution during Holi festivals and they summarise the findings of the German environmental study on health of children and youths 2014-2017 (GerES V).

Background

The journal "UMID: Umwelt und Mensch – Informationsdienst" provides information free of charge about the topics environment, health, environmental medicine and consumer protection. More than 2,000 online subscribers receive a copy of the latest issue – and rising. UMID is published by Action Programme Environment and Health (APUG) in which the following institutions collaborate:

• Federal Environment Agency
• Federal Office for Radiation Protection
• Federal Institute for Risk Assessment
• Robert Koch Institute