Four winning projects to better understand how the environment impacts health

To better understand the relationship between the environment and health, it is necessary to combine data from multiple sources, including those on health, air and soil quality, exposure to pollutants, and geographical characteristics. The four selected projects will receive human, technical and financial resources from the GD4H and HDH teams to facilitate the acquisition of data and generate new knowledge to inform research, prevention and public policy. 

Four projects addressing key environmental health challenges

The selected projects illustrate the wide range of environmental health issues facing society today.

ÆDES, led by Nice University Hospital in partnership with Côte d’Azur University, is studying the impact of urban planning and climate change adaptation measures on the distribution of the tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus). Conducted in the Alpes-Maritimes and Var administrative départements, it aims to better understand how the design of urban areas can influence the risk of exposure to this mosquito.

FAST-EnviroScore, led by the French Society of Cardiology in partnership with Clinityx and the IA-Santé SINERGIES laboratory at the University of Franche-Comté, will seek to better understand how certain environmental factors – air quality (especially concentrations of PM_2.5, PM₁₀, NO₂, O₃, SO₂ and CO, as well as the Common Air Quality Index) and thermal factors related to temperature, humidity and heatwaves – influence the long-term prognosis of patients who have suffered myocardial infarction.

PADDEL, led by Toulouse University Hospital together with the COALA network, Institut Curie, the RespirERA University Hospital Institute, AP-HP (Cochin Hospital), Lille University Hospital and the College of Pulmonologists of General Hospitals, will investigate the association between emerging pollutants – such as pesticides, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and endocrine disruptors – and lung cancer by linking data from large patient cohorts with environmental data.

RESPIR, led by Poitiers University Hospital in collaboration with the LIAS laboratory at the University of Poitiers, the Centre for Biological Studies in Chizé (CEBC-CNRS) and Limoges University Hospital, will investigate the relationship between pesticide exposure and respiratory health in the Deux-Sèvres département. The aim is to determine whether high levels of exposure are associated with an increased risk of asthma attacks or COPD exacerbations.

A growing body of scientific evidence

A total of 17 projects are receiving support from the GD4H and HDH. The most advanced have already generated robust findings, giving rise to scientific publications on major environmental health topics including the effects of noise and endocrine disruptors on human health.