Jordi Sunyer
Researcher at ISGlobal and Professor of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona
Does the press release accurately reflect the study?
“Yes”.
Is the study of good quality? Are the conclusions supported by sound data?
“It is excellent”.
How does this work fit in with the existing evidence?
“The scale – number of sampling points, number of daily metal content analyses, number of days, geographical variation – as well as the mathematical analytical strategy, far exceed those of previous studies.”
Have the authors taken confounding factors into account? Are there any significant limitations to bear in mind?
“I cannot identify any weaknesses, apart from the fact that this is a study of geochemical temporal variability in Europe, which cannot simply be extrapolated to the rest of the world. As regards the estimation of the impact on mortality and hospitalisations, the study does not suffer from residual confounding.”
What are the implications for the real world?
“That climate change cannot be tackled simply through adaptation, because in cases such as this, it is almost futile. Measures to mitigate climate change must be put in place as a matter of urgency: from decarbonisation to the restructuring of the food industry or the management of the commons.”