Keith Ladd, Iroz-Elardo Nicole, Austof Erika, Sami Ida, Arora Mona
College of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape Architecture, The University of Arizona, 1040 North Olive Road, Tucson, AZ 85719, United States.
Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, The University of Arizona, 1295 North Martin Avenue, Tucson, AZ, 85724. United States.
J Clim Chang Health. 2021 Oct;4:100043. doi: 10.1016/j.joclim.2021.100043. Epub 2021 Aug 28.
Extreme heat is an increasing climate risk due to climate change and the urban heat island (UHI) effect and can jeopardize points of dispensing (PODs) for COVID-19 vaccination distribution and broader public health emergency preparedness (PHEP) response operations. These PODs were often located on large parking lot sites with high heat severity and did not take heat mitigation or management strategies into account for unacclimated workers and volunteers. To investigate the personal heat exposure of workers, volunteers, and clients at three PODs in Tucson, Arizona, we collected ambient air temperatures, wet bulb globe temperatures (WBGT), surface temperatures, and thermal images. We also made qualitative observations and compared data against daily meteorological records. Ambient air temperatures at all three PODs exceeded the meteorological recorded high. WBGT on average were 8°F (4.4 °C) higher in full sun locations than shaded locations such as tents. Evaporative cooling decreased ambient air temperatures by 2°F (1.2 °C) when placed one per tent, but decreased ambient air temperatures by 7°F (3.9 °C) when placed en masse in a larger tent. Vehicle surface temperatures exceeded recommended safe limits of 140°F (60 °C) at all three sites, with a maximum temperature recorded at 170.9°F (77.2 °C). Public health professionals should consider heat resilience, including heat mitigation and management measures, in POD and PHEP response operations to reduce exposure. This includes considering the UHI effect in the siting of PODs, applying heat mitigation strategies in the design of PODs such as the adaptive use of solar panels for shading, and improving heat safety guidance for workers and volunteers.
由于气候变化和城市热岛效应，极端高温正成为日益严峻的气候风险，可能危及新冠疫苗接种点的新冠疫苗分发工作以及更广泛的公共卫生应急准备响应行动。这些接种点通常设在热强度高的大型停车场，未考虑到未适应高温环境的工作人员和志愿者的防暑或管理策略。为调查亚利桑那州图森市三个接种点工作人员、志愿者和客户的个人热暴露情况，我们收集了环境空气温度、湿球黑球温度（WBGT）、表面温度和热图像。我们还进行了定性观察，并将数据与每日气象记录进行比较。所有三个接种点的环境空气温度均超过气象记录的最高值。在阳光充足的地方，WBGT平均比帐篷等阴凉处高8华氏度（4.4摄氏度）。每个帐篷放置一台蒸发冷却设备时，环境空气温度降低2华氏度（1.2摄氏度），但集中放置在一个较大帐篷中时，环境空气温度降低7华氏度（3.9摄氏度）。在所有三个地点，车辆表面温度均超过了140华氏度（60摄氏度）的推荐安全限值，记录到的最高温度为170.9华氏度（77.2摄氏度）。公共卫生专业人员应在接种点和公共卫生应急准备响应行动中考虑耐热性，包括防暑和管理措施，以减少暴露。这包括在接种点选址时考虑城市热岛效应，在接种点设计中应用防暑策略，如灵活使用太阳能板进行遮阳，并为工作人员和志愿者改进热安全指南。
