- Full (HTML) - Full (PDF) - Related EHP Articles - PubMed:Related Articles - PubMed:Citation - Cited in PMC - Purchase This Issue

Karen E. Smoyer-Tomic¹ and Daniel G.C. Rainham²

¹Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada; ²Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Abstract

An increasing number of cities subject to hazardous summer weather in the United States and Canada have begun to develop and implement hot weather response plans to prevent heat-related illnesses and deaths. In this study we focus on heat-mortality relationships in Toronto, Ontario, between 1980 and 1996 and evaluate the potential effectiveness of the city's interim hot weather-health response plan. Using two heat stress indexes--humidex and apparent temperature--we identified excess mortality associated with hot and humid weather and then estimated excess deaths for hot and cool summers. Mortality rates for all ages and for > 64 years age groups rose with increasing humidex and apparent temperature, with no significant increase for the population < 65 years. Excess mortality occurred as low as the 30-35°C humidex range, which is below the 40°C humidex used to issue a heat warning under Toronto's interim hot weather response plan. During a hot summer (such as 1988 or 1995) , 32 excess deaths would be expected, whereas 34 fewer deaths than baseline levels would be expected during a cool summer like 1982 or 1992. Days with high humidex levels occur infrequently in Toronto, and thus exposure is limited under current climatic conditions. In the event of a warming climate, more days with dangerously high humidex levels are likely to occur, and summer deaths are expected to increase. Toronto's hot weather health-response plan is an important early step for adaptation to climate change. Key words: apparent temperature, Canada, heat index, heat-related mortality, heat stress, heat wave, hot weather, humidex, Toronto. Environ Health Perspect 109:1241-1248 (2001) . [Online 29 November 2001]

http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2001/109p1241-1248smoyer-tomic/ abstract.html

Address correspondence to K.E. Smoyer-Tomic, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, 1-26 Earth Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E3, Canada. Telephone: (780) 492-3287. Fax: (780) 492-7598. E-mail: karen.tomic@ualberta.ca

We thank B. Mills and A. Maarouf of Environment Canada and N. Day and N. Naulls of Toronto Public Health.

This research was supported in part by the Adaptation and Impacts Research Group of Environment Canada and by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

Received 17 January 2001 ; accepted 7 May 2001.