research topics on environment and health

Research Topics & Ideas: Environment

F inding and choosing a strong research topic is the critical first step when it comes to crafting a high-quality dissertation, thesis or research project. Here, we’ll explore a variety research ideas and topic thought-starters related to various environmental science disciplines, including ecology, oceanography, hydrology, geology, soil science, environmental chemistry, environmental economics, and environmental ethics.

NB – This is just the start…

The topic ideation and evaluation process has multiple steps . In this post, we’ll kickstart the process by sharing some research topic ideas within the environmental sciences. This is the starting point though. To develop a well-defined research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , along with a well-justified plan of action to fill that gap.

If you’re new to the oftentimes perplexing world of research, or if this is your first time undertaking a formal academic research project, be sure to check out our free dissertation mini-course. Also be sure to also sign up for our free webinar that explores how to develop a high-quality research topic from scratch.

Overview: Environmental Topics

• Ecology /ecological science
• Atmospheric science
• Oceanography
• Soil science
• Environmental chemistry
• Environmental economics
• Environmental ethics
• Examples  of dissertations and theses

Topics & Ideas: Ecological Science

• The impact of land-use change on species diversity and ecosystem functioning in agricultural landscapes
• The role of disturbances such as fire and drought in shaping arid ecosystems
• The impact of climate change on the distribution of migratory marine species
• Investigating the role of mutualistic plant-insect relationships in maintaining ecosystem stability
• The effects of invasive plant species on ecosystem structure and function
• The impact of habitat fragmentation caused by road construction on species diversity and population dynamics in the tropics
• The role of ecosystem services in urban areas and their economic value to a developing nation
• The effectiveness of different grassland restoration techniques in degraded ecosystems
• The impact of land-use change through agriculture and urbanisation on soil microbial communities in a temperate environment
• The role of microbial diversity in ecosystem health and nutrient cycling in an African savannah

Topics & Ideas: Atmospheric Science

• The impact of climate change on atmospheric circulation patterns above tropical rainforests
• The role of atmospheric aerosols in cloud formation and precipitation above cities with high pollution levels
• The impact of agricultural land-use change on global atmospheric composition
• Investigating the role of atmospheric convection in severe weather events in the tropics
• The impact of urbanisation on regional and global atmospheric ozone levels
• The impact of sea surface temperature on atmospheric circulation and tropical cyclones
• The impact of solar flares on the Earth’s atmospheric composition
• The impact of climate change on atmospheric turbulence and air transportation safety
• The impact of stratospheric ozone depletion on atmospheric circulation and climate change
• The role of atmospheric rivers in global water supply and sea-ice formation

Topics & Ideas: Oceanography

• The impact of ocean acidification on kelp forests and biogeochemical cycles
• The role of ocean currents in distributing heat and regulating desert rain
• The impact of carbon monoxide pollution on ocean chemistry and biogeochemical cycles
• Investigating the role of ocean mixing in regulating coastal climates
• The impact of sea level rise on the resource availability of low-income coastal communities
• The impact of ocean warming on the distribution and migration patterns of marine mammals
• The impact of ocean deoxygenation on biogeochemical cycles in the arctic
• The role of ocean-atmosphere interactions in regulating rainfall in arid regions
• The impact of ocean eddies on global ocean circulation and plankton distribution
• The role of ocean-ice interactions in regulating the Earth’s climate and sea level

Tops & Ideas: Hydrology

• The impact of agricultural land-use change on water resources and hydrologic cycles in temperate regions
• The impact of agricultural groundwater availability on irrigation practices in the global south
• The impact of rising sea-surface temperatures on global precipitation patterns and water availability
• Investigating the role of wetlands in regulating water resources for riparian forests
• The impact of tropical ranches on river and stream ecosystems and water quality
• The impact of urbanisation on regional and local hydrologic cycles and water resources for agriculture
• The role of snow cover and mountain hydrology in regulating regional agricultural water resources
• The impact of drought on food security in arid and semi-arid regions
• The role of groundwater recharge in sustaining water resources in arid and semi-arid environments
• The impact of sea level rise on coastal hydrology and the quality of water resources

Topics & Ideas: Geology

• The impact of tectonic activity on the East African rift valley
• The role of mineral deposits in shaping ancient human societies
• The impact of sea-level rise on coastal geomorphology and shoreline evolution
• Investigating the role of erosion in shaping the landscape and impacting desertification
• The impact of mining on soil stability and landslide potential
• The impact of volcanic activity on incoming solar radiation and climate
• The role of geothermal energy in decarbonising the energy mix of megacities
• The impact of Earth’s magnetic field on geological processes and solar wind
• The impact of plate tectonics on the evolution of mammals
• The role of the distribution of mineral resources in shaping human societies and economies, with emphasis on sustainability

Topics & Ideas: Soil Science

• The impact of dam building on soil quality and fertility
• The role of soil organic matter in regulating nutrient cycles in agricultural land
• The impact of climate change on soil erosion and soil organic carbon storage in peatlands
• Investigating the role of above-below-ground interactions in nutrient cycling and soil health
• The impact of deforestation on soil degradation and soil fertility
• The role of soil texture and structure in regulating water and nutrient availability in boreal forests
• The impact of sustainable land management practices on soil health and soil organic matter
• The impact of wetland modification on soil structure and function
• The role of soil-atmosphere exchange and carbon sequestration in regulating regional and global climate
• The impact of salinization on soil health and crop productivity in coastal communities

Topics & Ideas: Environmental Chemistry

• The impact of cobalt mining on water quality and the fate of contaminants in the environment
• The role of atmospheric chemistry in shaping air quality and climate change
• The impact of soil chemistry on nutrient availability and plant growth in wheat monoculture
• Investigating the fate and transport of heavy metal contaminants in the environment
• The impact of climate change on biochemical cycling in tropical rainforests
• The impact of various types of land-use change on biochemical cycling
• The role of soil microbes in mediating contaminant degradation in the environment
• The impact of chemical and oil spills on freshwater and soil chemistry
• The role of atmospheric nitrogen deposition in shaping water and soil chemistry
• The impact of over-irrigation on the cycling and fate of persistent organic pollutants in the environment

Topics & Ideas: Environmental Economics

• The impact of climate change on the economies of developing nations
• The role of market-based mechanisms in promoting sustainable use of forest resources
• The impact of environmental regulations on economic growth and competitiveness
• Investigating the economic benefits and costs of ecosystem services for African countries
• The impact of renewable energy policies on regional and global energy markets
• The role of water markets in promoting sustainable water use in southern Africa
• The impact of land-use change in rural areas on regional and global economies
• The impact of environmental disasters on local and national economies
• The role of green technologies and innovation in shaping the zero-carbon transition and the knock-on effects for local economies
• The impact of environmental and natural resource policies on income distribution and poverty of rural communities

Need a helping hand?

Topics & Ideas: Environmental Ethics

• The ethical foundations of environmentalism and the environmental movement regarding renewable energy
• The role of values and ethics in shaping environmental policy and decision-making in the mining industry
• The impact of cultural and religious beliefs on environmental attitudes and behaviours in first world countries
• Investigating the ethics of biodiversity conservation and the protection of endangered species in palm oil plantations
• The ethical implications of sea-level rise for future generations and vulnerable coastal populations
• The role of ethical considerations in shaping sustainable use of natural forest resources
• The impact of environmental justice on marginalized communities and environmental policies in Asia
• The ethical implications of environmental risks and decision-making under uncertainty
• The role of ethics in shaping the transition to a low-carbon, sustainable future for the construction industry
• The impact of environmental values on consumer behaviour and the marketplace: a case study of the ‘bring your own shopping bag’ policy

Examples: Real Dissertation & Thesis Topics

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding a research topic, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual dissertations and theses to see how this all comes together.

Below, we’ve included a selection of research projects from various environmental science-related degree programs to help refine your thinking. These are actual dissertations and theses, written as part of Master’s and PhD-level programs, so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

• The physiology of microorganisms in enhanced biological phosphorous removal (Saunders, 2014)
• The influence of the coastal front on heavy rainfall events along the east coast (Henson, 2019)
• Forage production and diversification for climate-smart tropical and temperate silvopastures (Dibala, 2019)
• Advancing spectral induced polarization for near surface geophysical characterization (Wang, 2021)
• Assessment of Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter and Thamnocephalus platyurus as Tools to Monitor Cyanobacterial Bloom Development and Toxicity (Hipsher, 2019)
• Evaluating the Removal of Microcystin Variants with Powdered Activated Carbon (Juang, 2020)
• The effect of hydrological restoration on nutrient concentrations, macroinvertebrate communities, and amphibian populations in Lake Erie coastal wetlands (Berg, 2019)
• Utilizing hydrologic soil grouping to estimate corn nitrogen rate recommendations (Bean, 2019)
• Fungal Function in House Dust and Dust from the International Space Station (Bope, 2021)
• Assessing Vulnerability and the Potential for Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) in Sudan’s Blue Nile Basin (Mohamed, 2022)
• A Microbial Water Quality Analysis of the Recreational Zones in the Los Angeles River of Elysian Valley, CA (Nguyen, 2019)
• Dry Season Water Quality Study on Three Recreational Sites in the San Gabriel Mountains (Vallejo, 2019)
• Wastewater Treatment Plan for Unix Packaging Adjustment of the Potential Hydrogen (PH) Evaluation of Enzymatic Activity After the Addition of Cycle Disgestase Enzyme (Miessi, 2020)
• Laying the Genetic Foundation for the Conservation of Longhorn Fairy Shrimp (Kyle, 2021).

Looking at these titles, you can probably pick up that the research topics here are quite specific and narrowly-focused , compared to the generic ones presented earlier. To create a top-notch research topic, you will need to be precise and target a specific context with specific variables of interest . In other words, you’ll need to identify a clear, well-justified research gap.

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12 Comments

research topics on climate change and environment

Researched PhD topics on environmental chemistry involving dust and water

I wish to learn things in a more advanced but simple way and with the hopes that I am in the right place.

Thank so much for the research topics. It really helped

the guides were really helpful

Research topics on environmental geology

Thanks for the research topics….I need a research topic on Geography

hi I need research questions ideas

Implications of climate variability on wildlife conservation on the west coast of Cameroon

I want the research on environmental planning and management

I want a topic on environmental sustainability

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Environmental health articles from across Nature Portfolio

A new approach to ecological zoning of the Earth in a changing climate

We introduce a globally consistent, dynamic approach to ecological zoning, representing broad, homogeneous natural-vegetation formations via the Holdridge life zones. Our scheme directly addresses some of the shortcomings in the existing guidance provided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Dry air in the lower-free troposphere intensifies humid heatwaves

Humid heatwaves are often limited by the onset of convective rain, such as thunderstorms. Observational reanalysis data and climate models indicate that dry air 1–3 km above the Earth’s surface can curtail convective storms, allowing humid heatwaves to intensify on the ground. This effect is likely to be exacerbated by increasing global temperatures.

Latest Research and Reviews

Customized digestion protocols for copepods, euphausiids, chaetognaths and fish larvae facilitate the isolation of ingested microplastics

• Imke Podbielski

China coasts facing more tropical cyclone risks during the second decaying summer of double-year La Niña events

• Dongxiao Wang

Soil respiration response to decade-long warming modulated by soil moisture in a boreal forest

Soil moisture greatly affects the response of soil respiration to warming, according to 13 years of warming experiments in a boreal forest.

• Guopeng Liang
• Artur Stefanski
• Peter B. Reich

The global distribution and climate resilience of marine heterotrophic prokaryotes

This study uses global datasets of marine prokaryotes to reveal that prokaryotic biomass varies by just under 3-fold across the global surface ocean, while metabolic activity increases by more than one order of magnitude from polar to tropical coastal and upwelling regions. The findings also suggest that shifts under climate change could lead to an increasingly microbial-dominated ocean.

• Ryan F. Heneghan
• Jacinta Holloway-Brown
• Eric D. Galbraith

Increasing intensity of enterovirus outbreaks projected with climate change

Climate change is likely to impact the circulation of many infectious diseases. Here, the authors characterize the impact of climatic and demographic factors on enterovirus disease transmission and project how changes in climate may impact future transmission.

• Rachel E. Baker
• Wenchang Yang
• Saki Takahashi

Impacts of climate change-related human migration on infectious diseases

Both extreme weather events and long-term gradual changes drive human migration, which could aggravate the burden of infectious diseases. This Perspective examines the complex interplay between climate change, migration and infectious diseases then advocates for context-specific adaptations.

• Joseph L.-H. Tsui
• Rosario Evans Pena
• Prathyush Sambaturu

News and Comment

Integrating climate–pest interactions into crop projections for sustainable agriculture

Crop pest invasions and their interactions with climate change may have been overlooked in crop yield projections, hindering the development of climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture. A harmonized strategy is proposed to integrate such interactions into crop yield projections and management under climate change scenarios.

• Chengjun Li
• Christian Sonne

Jobs for a sustainable future

Transitioning to a more sustainable economic system hinges on creating jobs in support of greener activities, with challenges for incumbent workers. A suite of articles highlights the need for more sustainable jobs and how to overcome the associated research gaps and political obstacles.

Job–environment feedbacks

• Angelos Alamanos

Mapping inequities in green cooling services

The escalating intensity of heatwaves due to climate change is making the cool respite provided by urban green spaces crucial. Yet, a recent comprehensive study underscores a stark disparity: the most vulnerable urban populations in Europe are the least served by these essential green cooling services.

• Theodore A. Endreny

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50 Best Environmental Science Research Topics

May 31, 2023

Environmental science is a varied discipline that encompasses a variety of subjects, including ecology, atmospheric science, and geology among others. Professionals within this field can pursue many occupations from lab technicians and agricultural engineers to park rangers and environmental lawyers. However, what unites these careers is their focus on how the natural world and the human world interact and impact the surrounding environment. There is also one other significant commonality among environmental science careers: virtually all of them either engage in or rely on research on environmental science topics to ensure their work is accurate and up to date.

In this post, we’ll outline some of the best environmental science research topics to help you explore disciplines within environmental science and kickstart your own research. If you are considering majoring in environmental science or perhaps just need help brainstorming for a research paper, this post will give you a broad sense of timely environmental science research topics.

What makes a research topic good?

Before we dive into specific environmental science research topics, let’s first cover the basics: what qualities make for a viable research topic. Research is the process of collecting information to make discoveries and reach new conclusions. We often think of research as something that occurs in academic or scientific settings. However, everyone engages in informal research in everyday life, from reading product reviews to investigating statistics for admitted students at prospective colleges . While we all conduct research in our day-to-day lives, formal academic research is necessary to advance discoveries and scholarly discourses. Therefore, in this setting, good research hinges on a topic in which there are unanswered questions or ongoing debates. In other words, meaningful research focuses on topics where you can say something new.

However, identifying an interesting research topic is only the first step in the research process. Research topics tend to be broad in scope. Strong research is dependent on developing a specific research question, meaning the query your project will seek to answer. While there are no comprehensive guidelines for research questions, most scholars agree that research questions should be:

1) Specific

Research questions need to clearly identify and define the focus of your research. Without sufficient detail, your research will likely be too broad or imprecise in focus to yield meaningful insights. For example, you might initially be interested in addressing this question: How should governments address the effects of climate change? While that is a worthwhile question to investigate, it’s not clear enough to facilitate meaningful research. What level of government is this question referring to? And what specific effects of global warming will this research focus on? You would need to revise this question to provide a clearer focus for your research. A revised version of this question might look like this: How can state government officials in Florida best mitigate the effects of sea-level rise?

 2) Narrow

Our interest in a given topic often starts quite broad. However, it is difficult to produce meaningful, thorough research on a broad topic. For that reason, it is important that research questions be narrow in scope, focusing on a specific issue or subtopic. For example, one of the more timely environmental science topics is renewable energy. A student who is just learning about this topic might wish to write a research paper on the following question: Which form of renewable energy is best? However, that would be a difficult question to answer in one paper given the various ways in which an energy source could be “best.” Instead, this student might narrow their focus, assessing renewable energy sources through a more specific lens: Which form of renewable energy is best for job creation?

 3) Complex

As we previously discussed, good research leads to new discoveries. These lines of inquiry typically require a complicated and open-ended research question. A question that can be answered with just a “yes” or “no” (or a quick Google search) is likely indicative of a topic in which additional research is unnecessary (i.e. there is no ongoing debate) or a topic that is not well defined. For example, the following question would likely be too simple for academic research: What is environmental justice? You can look up a definition of environmental justice online. You would need to ask a more complex question to sustain a meaningful research project. Instead, you might conduct research on the following query: Which environmental issue(s) disproportionately impact impoverished communities in the Pacific Northwest? This question is narrower and more specific, while also requiring more complex thought and analysis to answer.

4) Debatable

Again, strong research provides new answers and information, which means that they must be situated within topics or discourses where there is ongoing debate. If a research question can only lead to one natural conclusion, that may indicate that it has already been sufficiently addressed in prior research or that the question is leading. For example, Are invasive species bad? is not a very debatable question (the answer is in the term “invasive species”!). A paper that focused on this question would essentially define and provide examples of invasive species (i.e. information that is already well documented). Instead, a researcher might investigate the effects of a specific invasive species. For example: How have Burmese pythons impacted ecosystems in the Everglades, and what mitigation strategies are most effective to reduce Burmese python populations?

Therefore, research topics, including environmental science topics, are those about which there are ample questions yet to be definitively answered. Taking time to develop a thoughtful research question will provide the necessary focus and structure to facilitate meaningful research.

10 Great Environmental Science Research Topics (With Explanations!)

Now that we have a basic understanding of what qualities can make or break a research topic, we can return to our focus on environmental science topics. Although “great” research topics are somewhat subjective, we believe the following topics provide excellent foundations for research due to ongoing debates in these areas, as well as the urgency of the challenges they seek to address.

1) Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation

Although climate change is now a well-known concept , there is still much to be learned about how humans can best mitigate and adapt to its effects. Mitigation involves reducing the severity of climate change. However, there are a variety of ways mitigation can occur, from switching to electric vehicles to enforcing carbon taxes on corporations that produce the highest carbon emission levels. Many of these environmental science topics intersect with issues of public policy and economics, making them very nuanced and versatile.

In comparison, climate change adaptation considers how humans can adjust to life in an evolving climate where issues such as food insecurity, floods, droughts, and other severe weather events are more frequent. Research on climate change adaptation is particularly fascinating due to the various levels at which it occurs, from federal down to local governments, to help communities anticipate and adjust to the effects of climate change.

Both climate change mitigation and adaptation represent excellent environmental science research topics as there is still much to be learned to address this issue and its varied effects.

2) Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is another fairly mainstream topic in which there is much to learn and research. Although scientists have identified many forms of sustainable energy, such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric power, questions remain about how to best implement these energy sources. How can politicians, world leaders, and communities advance renewable energy through public policy? What impact will renewable energy have on local and national economies? And how can we minimize the environmental impact of renewable energy technologies? While we have identified alternatives to fossil fuels, questions persist about the best way to utilize these technologies, making renewable energy one of the best environmental science topics to research.

3) Conservation

Conservation is a broad topic within environmental science, focusing on issues such as preserving environments and protecting endangered species. However, conservation efforts are more challenging than ever in the face of a growing world population and climate change. In fact, some scientists theorize that we are currently in the middle of a sixth mass extinction event. While these issues might seem dire, we need scientists to conduct research on conservation efforts for specific species, as well as entire ecosystems, to help combat these challenges and preserve the planet’s biodiversity.

4) Deforestation

The Save the Rainforest movement of the 1980s and 90s introduced many people to the issue of deforestation. Today, the problems associated with deforestation, such as reduced biodiversity and soil erosion, are fairly common knowledge. However, these challenges persist due, in part, to construction and agricultural development projects. While we know the effects of deforestation, it is more difficult to identify and implement feasible solutions. This is particularly true in developing countries where deforestation is often more prevalent due to political, environmental, and economic factors. Environmental science research can help reduce deforestation by identifying strategies to help countries sustainably manage their natural resources.

Environmental Science Topics (Continued)

5) urban ecology.

When we think of “the environment,” our brains often conjure up images of majestic mountain ranges and lush green forests. However, less “natural” environments also warrant study: this is where urban ecology comes in. Urban ecology is the study of how organisms interact with one another and their environment in urban settings. Through urban ecology, researchers can address topics such as how greenspaces in cities can reduce air pollution, or how local governments can adopt more effective waste management practices. As one of the newer environmental science topics, urban ecology represents an exciting research area that can help humans live more sustainably.

6) Environmental Justice

While environmental issues such as climate change impact people on a global scale, not all communities are affected equally. For example, wealthy nations tend to contribute more to greenhouse-gas emissions. However, less developed nations are disproportionately bearing the brunt of climate change . Studies within the field of environmental justice seek to understand how issues such as race, national origin, and income impact the degree to which people experience hardships from environmental issues. Researchers in this field not only document these inequities, but also identify ways in which environmental justice can be achieved. As a result, their work helps communities have access to clean, safe environments in which they can thrive.

7) Water Management

Water is, of course, necessary for life, which is why water management is so important within environmental science research topics. Water management research ensures that water resources are appropriately identified and maintained to meet demand. However, climate change has heightened the need for water management research, due to the occurrence of more severe droughts and wildfires. As a result, water management research is necessary to ensure water is clean and accessible.

8) Pollution and Bioremediation

Another impact of the increase in human population and development is heightened air, water, and soil pollution. Environmental scientists study pollutants to understand how they work and where they originate. Through their research, they can identify solutions to help address pollution, such as bioremediation, which is the use of microorganisms to consume and break down pollutants. Collectively, research on pollution and bioremediation helps us restore environments so they are sufficient for human, animal, and plant life.

9) Disease Ecology

While environmental science topics impact the health of humans, we don’t always think of this discipline as intersecting with medicine. But, believe it or not, they can sometimes overlap! Disease ecology examines how ecological processes and interactions impact disease evolution. For example, malaria is a disease that is highly dependent on ecological variables, such as temperature and precipitation. Both of these factors can help or hinder the breeding of mosquitoes and, therefore, the transmission of malaria. The risk of infectious diseases is likely to increase due to climate change , making disease ecology an important research topic.

10) Ecosystems Ecology

If nothing else, the aforementioned topics and their related debates showcase just how interconnected the world is. None of us live in a vacuum: our environment affects us just as we affect it. That makes ecosystems ecology, which examines how ecosystems operate and interact, an evergreen research topic within environmental science.

40 More Environmental Science Research Topics

Still haven’t stumbled upon the right environmental science research topic? The following ideas may help spark some inspiration:

• The effects of agricultural land use on biodiversity and ecosystems.
• The impact of invasive plant species on ecosystems.
• How wildfires and droughts shape ecosystems.
• The role of fire ecology in addressing wildfire threats.
• The impact of coral bleaching on biodiversity.
• Ways to minimize the environmental impact of clean energies.
• The effects of climate change on ocean currents and migration patterns of marine species.

Environmental Justice and Public Policy

• Opportunities to equalize the benefits of greenspaces for impoverished and marginalized communities.
• The impact of natural disasters on human migration patterns.
• The role of national parks and nature reserves in human health.
• How to address inequalities in the impact of air pollution.
• How to prevent and address the looming climate refugee crisis.
• Environmentally and economically sustainable alternatives to deforestation in less developed countries.
• Effects of environmental policies and regulations on impoverished communities.
• The role of pollutants in endocrine disruption.
• The effects of climate change on the emergence of infectious diseases.

AP Environmental Science Research Topics (Continued)

Soil science.

• Effects of climate change on soil erosion.
• The role of land management in maintaining soil health.
• Agricultural effects of salinization in coastal areas.
• The effects of climate change on agriculture.

Urban Ecology

• How road construction impacts biodiversity and ecosystems.
• The effects of urbanization and city planning on water cycles.
• Impacts of noise pollution on human health.
• The role of city planning in reducing light pollution.

Pollution and Bioremediation

• The role of bioremediation in removing “forever” chemicals from the environment.
• Impacts of air pollution on maternal health.
• How to improve plastic recycling processes.
• Individual measures to reduce consumption and creation of microplastics.
• Environmental impacts of and alternatives to fracking.

Environmental Law and Ethics

• Ethical implications of human intervention in the preservation of endangered species.
• The efficacy and impact of single-use plastic laws.
• Effects of religious and cultural values in environmental beliefs.
• The ethics of climate change policy for future generations.
• Ethical implications of international environmental regulations for less developed countries.
• The impact and efficacy of corporate carbon taxes.
• Ethical and environmental implications of fast fashion.
• The ethics and efficacy of green consumerism.
• Impacts of the hospitality and travel industries on pollution and emissions.
• The ethical implications of greenwashing in marketing.
• Effects of “Right to Repair” laws on pollution.

Final Thoughts: Environmental Science Research Topics

Environmental science is a diverse and very important area of study that impacts all aspects of life on Earth. If you’ve found a topic you’d like to pursue, it’s time to hit the books (or online databases)! Begin reading broadly on your chosen topic so you can define a specific research question. If you’re unsure where to begin, contact a research librarian who can connect you with pertinent resources. As you familiarize yourself with the discourse surrounding your topic, consider what questions spring to mind. Those questions may represent gaps around which you can craft a research question.

Interested in conducting academic research? Check out the following resources for information on research opportunities and programs:

• Research Opportunities for High School Students
• Colleges with the Best Undergraduate Research Programs
• College Success
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Emily Smith

Emily earned a BA in English and Communication Studies from UNC Chapel Hill and an MA in English from Wake Forest University. While at UNC and Wake Forest, she served as a tutor and graduate assistant in each school’s writing center, where she worked with undergraduate and graduate students from all academic backgrounds. She also worked as an editorial intern for the Wake Forest University Press as well as a visiting lecturer in the Department of English at WFU, and currently works as a writing center director in western North Carolina.

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Priorities for research on environment, climate and health, a European perspective

• Elina Drakvik 1 , 2 ,
• Manolis Kogevinas   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-9605-0461 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ,
• Åke Bergman 1 ,
• Anais Devouge 7 &
• Robert Barouki 7

on behalf of the HERA (Health and Environment Research Agenda) Consortium

Environmental Health volume  21 , Article number:  37 ( 2022 ) Cite this article

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Climate change, urbanisation, chemical pollution and disruption of ecosystems, including biodiversity loss, affect our health and wellbeing. Research is crucial to be able to respond to the current and future challenges that are often complex and interconnected by nature. The HERA Agenda, summarised in this commentary, identifies six thematic research goals in the environment, climate and health fields. These include research to 1) reduce the effects of climate change and biodiversity loss on health and environment, 2) promote healthy lives in cities and communities, 3) eliminate harmful chemical exposures, 4) improve health impact assessment and implementation research, 5) develop infrastructures, technologies and human resources and 6) promote research on transformational change towards sustainability. Numerous specific recommendations for research topics, i.e., specific research goals, are presented under each major research goal. Several methods were used to define the priorities, including web-based surveys targeting researchers and stakeholder groups as well as a series of online and face-to-face workshops, involving hundreds of researchers and other stakeholders. The results call for an unprecedented effort to support a better understanding of the causes, interlinkages and impacts of environmental stressors on health and the environment. This will require breakdown of silos within policies, research, actors as well as in our institutional arrangements in order to enable more holistic approaches and solutions to emerge. The HERA project has developed a unique and exciting opportunity in Europe to consensuate priorities in research and strengthen research that has direct societal impact.

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Climate change, urbanisation, chemical pollution and disruption of ecosystems, including biodiversity loss, impact our health and quality of life. Research is instrumental to be able to respond to the current and future environmental and health challenges that are so complex and interlinked by nature. The European Commission (EC), in line with policies of the European Union and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals [ 1 ], launched a call for proposals to define priorities for research on environment, climate and health [ 2 ]. The Health and Environment Research Agenda (HERA) project, emerging from that call, was developed by a European consortium, and recently submitted its final report entitled “EU research agenda for the environment, climate & health, 2021–2030” [ 3 ], summarised in this commentary. The HERA Agenda highlights several key areas where further research is crucial for the next decade. This article provides a topical contribution to discussion of environmental health priorities and provides opportunities to reflect on future directions of research in this field, especially in the European context.

Process for developing the European research agenda

The approach that the project followed was based on principles of transparency, inclusiveness and mutual learning [ 4 ]. During the course of the project, the HERA Consortium performed extensive reviews of current knowledge, policies and research activities (Fig.  1 ). Web-based surveys targeting research communities and other stakeholder groups were carried out, along with online and face-to-face workshops, which taken together, involved hundreds of participants. Researchers primarily identified major current areas of concern, i.e. air pollution, chemicals, climate, cities, as priorities for research. Other stakeholders mostly identified implementation science and global issues (e.g. climate change, biodiversity loss) as priorities. The stakeholder process and results are described in detail in Paloniemi et al. [ 5 ]. Responses from the surveys and workshops were discussed by the HERA working group that further identified “Gaps in gaps”, namely research areas that are not well developed but that were not identified by the researchers’ survey. Research goals were prioritised by the HERA working group using the following criteria (modified from [ 6 ]): Novelty; Importance to People, Importance to the environment on a planetary scale; Impact on Policy; and, Innovation and Sustainable Development. A consensus-based approach was used for agreeing and refining the research goals along the process, based on the input and expertise of the HERA Consortium members, editorial group and independent scientific advisory board as well as input received through a public consultation.

HERA framework for engaging stakeholders and scientist in the definition of Research goals (RG) for the research agenda

The EU research agenda for the environment, climate & health, 2021–2030

The EU Research Agenda developed by the HERA project covers six major research goals on environment, climate and health. Within each of them, research areas were identified and research needs specified resulting in altogether 30 specific research goals (Table 1 ). Several of the research goals are interlinked e.g. air-pollution is identified as a priority in the global environment (Research Goal 1.6 Global pollution) and the local environment, cities and communities (Research Goal 2.2 Air pollutants in indoor and outdoor environments). Moreover, the Research Agenda addresses research that can contribute to relevant policy objectives promoting health and the environment, especially in the context of the European Green Deal [ 7 ]. The Green Deal aims at achieving climate neutrality, biodiversity preservation, a circular economy and a zero pollution/toxic-free ambition as well as providing a way forward for achieving sustainable food system. The HERA agenda and the identified research needs can hence strengthen the knowledge and evidence-base in these cross-cutting policy areas, directly supporting the implementation of the Green Deal.

The six overarching Research Goals

Research goal 1 “Climate change and biodiversity loss – reduce effects on health and the environment” focuses on global interconnected issues. The consequences of climate change, biodiversity loss, disruption of food chains, emerging infectious diseases and decreased ecosystem services on health are not well understood despite evidence that they have major and persistent effects on life and the environment globally that became evident from the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, more attention is required for addressing pollution, including air pollution, at a global scale. The need to promote research for effective policies on mitigation and adaptation is identified as of paramount importance, as well as investigating co-benefits with air pollution mitigation policies. Overall, the research goal highlights the need for holistic approaches such as One Health and Planetary Health.

Research goal 2 “Cities and communities – promote healthy lives in sustainable and inclusive societies” focuses on problem-based research. Living conditions in urban environments are of key concern as they impact the health and wellbeing of most European citizens. The impacts of environmental factors (e.g. air pollution, noise, digitalisation), may vary in different contexts such as the urban environment workplace or contaminated land. Research should examine the complex relationships in these environments, and evaluate and promote positive interventions.

Research goal 3 “ Chemicals and physical stressors – prevent and eliminate harmful chemical exposures to health” focuses on chemicals, other stressors and environmental media. There are still many unknowns on the hazards and risks related to stressor families including chemicals and mixtures, physical stressors such as radiation (ranging from ionising to light exposure), and the role played by the various environmental media carrying these stressors such as water. Research should cover the tens of thousands of chemicals in daily usage that we have very little health information on and interactions of environmental exposures with other factors such as genes, occupation, political and socioeconomic determinants of health, a theme covered also in RG6 on interdisciplinary research. Regulatory decisions rely heavily on additional knowledge in these specific areas. Research should effectively address the challenges of a zero pollution paradigm and a sustainable future.

Research goal 4 “Improve health impact assessment of environmental factors and promote implementation research” focuses on the need to develop new harmonized methodologies to evaluate the burden of environmental and climate change on health and to identify and assess the health benefits of human environmental interaction. Moreover, research should promote optimal ways to implement science-based decisions and policies as this is a limiting factor in many fields.

Research goal 5 “Develop infrastructures, technologies and human resources for sustainable research on environment, climate change and health” focuses on the need of European research infrastructures to be strengthened and further developed. Infrastructures provide a basis for excellent research. Key proposals are establishing harmonized coordination of ongoing large cohort studies including tens of millions of participants, exposome characterization, laboratory infrastructure, data analysis using the latest data science tools, new methods for exposure assessment (e.g. sensors) and planetary monitoring tools.

Research goal 6 “Promote research on transformational change in environment, climate change and health” focuses on the need of transformational change to address the intertwined environmental, social and health issues and reach critical global goals towards sustainability and equity. Societies will need to adapt to the challenges elicited by environmental stressors and climate change and this will require significant transformation of individual and collective behaviour and of policy making across the sectors and silos. Development of research approaches directed to finding and promoting workable solutions together is necessary for achieving such transformations.

Conclusions—a vision for future research

It is striking how the HERA surveys and stakeholder consultations pointed out such a large number of knowledge gaps, even in areas such as climate change where relevant evidence-based policies are urgently needed. The ambitious political goals set in the UN Agenda for Sustainable Development and the European Green Deal, will need major investments in research and innovation. The HERA Agenda coincides with the reports highlighting the planetary boundaries [ 8 , 9 ], and intertwined environmental pressures, the triple planetary crisis: climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, affecting the health of the planet and of the people [ 10 ]. The Agenda reinforces the opportunity to bring together human health and environment field to work together on integrated and transformative solutions. The focus is on Europe, hence putting less emphasis on major exposures, such as indoor air pollution from biomass, that are much more prevalent in low- and middle-income countries. In fact, there is an urgent need to also develop a global Agenda since most of the problems and solutions discussed in HERA are not limited to Europe. In recent years, increases in the EU allocation to environment and health projects through the Framework Programme budgets and rise in the interest and importance of the field ([ 11 ], see page 65), have not yet managed to close the long-term gap that exists between required research and funding. It is a positive signal that the HERA Agenda has already been applied by the European Commission in recent calls for funding, as for example calls for the indoor environment, or planned calls on planetary health or the interlink of infections and the environment. Nevertheless, the vision for future research underlying this Agenda calls for an unprecedented effort to support a better understanding of the causes, interlinkages and impacts of environmental determinants on health. Integrated and holistic research should support policies and practices to protect and promote human health and well-being while simultaneously improving the critical state of the environment, including climate change mitigation and ecosystem restoration, in Europe and globally. This requires transformational change at societal level to break down the silos in policymaking, research, and institutional arrangements, enabling cross-sectoral, interdisciplinary and holistic approaches and solutions to emerge.

Availability of data and materials

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Acknowledgements

The HERA project was completed with the contributions of hundreds of researchers and stakeholders. HERA participants Robert Barouki (French National Institute of Health and Medical Research-INSERM), Manolis Kogevinas (Barcelona Institute for Global Health -ISGlobal), Åke Bergman (Stockholm University-SU), Elina Drakvik (SU) and Anaïs Devouge (INSERM)—drafted the HERA Agenda, 2021, with extensive contributions from Denis Sarigiannis (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki); Delphine Destoumieux-Garzón (The National Center for Scientific Research- CNRS); Franziska Matthies-Wiesler, Annette Peters (Helmholtz Zentrum München);Daniel Zalko (French National Institute for Agricultural Research-INRAE); Cristina Villanueva, Cathryn Tonne, Elisabeth Cardis, Elizabeth Diago-Navarro, Josep M. Antó, Maria Foraster, Mark Nieuwenhuijsen; Kurt Straif (ISGlobal); Karin van Veldhoven, Kristine Belesova, Neil Pearce, Andy Haines (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine); Jana Klánová, Kateřina Šebková, Lukáš Pokorný, Klára Hilscherová (Masaryk University); Sandra Boekhold, Brigit Staatsen, Nina van der Vliet (National Institute for Public Health and The Environment-RIVM); Eeva Furman, Riikka Paloniemi, Aino Rekola, Marianne Aulake (Finnish Environment Institute-SYKE); Vivienne Byers, Alan Gilmer (Technological University of Dublin); Anke Huss, Roel Vermeulen (Utrecht University); Rémy Slama, Michel Samson (INSERM), (Sinaia Netanyahu, Julia Nowacki (WHO). Other contributors to the HERA agenda writing include Maria Albin (Karolinska Institutet), Åke Grönlund (Örebro University), and Jeanne Garric (French ministry of research)

The HERA project was funded from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 825417.

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Drakvik, E., Kogevinas, M., Bergman, Å. et al. Priorities for research on environment, climate and health, a European perspective. Environ Health 21 , 37 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-022-00848-w

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• The impact of plastic pollution on freshwater ecosystems and wildlife
• The impact of climate change on plant-pollinator interactions and crop production
• The effectiveness of green innovation in promoting sustainable technological advancements
• The impact of climate change on ocean currents and marine heatwaves
• The impact of deforestation on indigenous communities and cultural practices
• The effectiveness of green governance in promoting sustainable development and environmental justice
• The effectiveness of wetland restoration in reducing flood risk
• The impact of climate change on the spread of vector-borne diseases
• The effectiveness of green marketing in promoting sustainable consumption
• The impact of plastic pollution on marine ecosystems
• The impact of renewable energy development on wildlife habitats
• The effectiveness of environmental education programs in promoting pro-environmental behavior
• The impact of deforestation on global climate change
• The impact of microplastics on freshwater ecosystems
• The effectiveness of eco-labeling in promoting sustainable seafood consumption
• The impact of climate change on coral reef ecosystems
• The impact of air pollution on human health and mortality rates
• The effectiveness of eco-tourism in promoting conservation and community development
• The impact of climate change on agricultural production and food security
• The impact of wind turbine noise on wildlife behavior and populations
• The impact of light pollution on nocturnal ecosystems and species
• The effectiveness of green energy subsidies in promoting renewable energy use
• The impact of invasive species on native ecosystems and biodiversity
• The impact of climate change on ocean acidification and marine ecosystems
• The effectiveness of green public procurement in promoting sustainable production
• The impact of deforestation on soil erosion and nutrient depletion
• The impact of noise pollution on human health and well-being
• The effectiveness of green building standards in promoting sustainable construction
• The impact of climate change on forest fires and wildfire risk
• The impact of e-waste on human health and environmental pollution
• The impact of climate change on polar ice caps and sea levels
• The impact of pharmaceutical pollution on freshwater ecosystems and wildlife
• The effectiveness of green transportation policies in reducing carbon emissions
• The impact of climate change on glacier retreat and water availability
• The impact of pesticide use on pollinator populations and ecosystems
• The effectiveness of circular economy models in reducing waste and promoting sustainability
• The impact of climate change on coastal ecosystems and biodiversity
• The impact of plastic waste on terrestrial ecosystems and wildlife
• The effectiveness of green chemistry in promoting sustainable manufacturing
• The impact of climate change on ocean currents and weather patterns
• The impact of agricultural runoff on freshwater ecosystems and water quality
• The effectiveness of green bonds in financing sustainable infrastructure projects
• The impact of climate change on soil moisture and desertification
• The impact of noise pollution on marine ecosystems and species
• The effectiveness of community-based conservation in promoting biodiversity and ecosystem health
• The impact of climate change on permafrost ecosystems and carbon storage
• The impact of urbanization on water pollution and quality
• The effectiveness of green jobs in promoting sustainable employment
• The impact of climate change on wetland ecosystems and biodiversity
• The impact of plastic pollution on terrestrial ecosystems and wildlife
• The effectiveness of sustainable fashion in promoting sustainable consumption
• The impact of climate change on phenology and seasonal cycles of plants and animals
• The impact of ocean pollution on human health and seafood safety
• The effectiveness of green procurement policies in promoting sustainable supply chains
• The impact of climate change on marine food webs and ecosystems
• The impact of agricultural practices on greenhouse gas emissions and climate change
• The effectiveness of green financing in promoting sustainable investment
• The effectiveness of rainwater harvesting systems in reducing water use
• The impact of climate change on permafrost ecosystems
• The impact of coastal erosion on shoreline ecosystems
• The effectiveness of green infrastructure in reducing urban heat island effect
• The impact of microorganisms on soil fertility and carbon sequestration
• The impact of climate change on snowpack and water availability
• The impact of oil and gas drilling on local ecosystems
• The effectiveness of carbon labeling in promoting sustainable consumer choices
• The impact of marine noise pollution on marine mammals
• The impact of climate change on alpine ecosystems
• The effectiveness of green supply chain management in reducing environmental impact
• The impact of climate change on river ecosystems
• The impact of urban sprawl on wildlife habitat fragmentation
• The effectiveness of carbon trading in reducing greenhouse gas emissions
• The impact of ocean warming on marine ecosystems
• The impact of agricultural practices on water quality and quantity
• The effectiveness of green roofs in improving urban air quality
• The impact of climate change on tropical rainforests
• The impact of water pollution on human health and livelihoods
• The effectiveness of green bonds in financing sustainable projects
• The impact of climate change on polar bear populations
• The impact of human activity on soil biodiversity
• The effectiveness of waste-to-energy systems in reducing waste and emissions
• The impact of climate change on Arctic sea ice and marine ecosystems
• The impact of sea level rise on low-lying coastal cities and communities
• The effectiveness of sustainable tourism in promoting conservation and community development
• The impact of deforestation on indigenous peoples and their livelihoods
• The impact of climate change on sea turtle populations
• The effectiveness of carbon-neutral and carbon-negative technologies
• The impact of urbanization on water resources and quality
• The impact of climate change on cold-water fish populations
• The effectiveness of green entrepreneurship in promoting sustainable innovation
• The impact of wildfires on air quality and public health
• The impact of climate change on human migration patterns and social systems
• The impact of noise pollution on bird communication and behavior in urban environments
• The impact of climate change on estuarine ecosystems and biodiversity
• The impact of deforestation on water availability and river basin management
• The impact of climate change on plant phenology and distribution
• The effectiveness of green marketing in promoting sustainable consumer behavior
• The impact of plastic pollution on freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity
• The impact of climate change on marine plastic debris accumulation and distribution
• The effectiveness of green innovation in promoting sustainable technology development
• The impact of climate change on crop yields and food security
• The impact of noise pollution on human health and well-being in urban environments
• The impact of climate change on Arctic marine ecosystems and biodiversity
• The effectiveness of green transportation infrastructure in promoting sustainable mobility
• The impact of deforestation on non-timber forest products and forest-dependent livelihoods
• The impact of climate change on wetland carbon sequestration and storage
• The impact of plastic pollution on sea turtle populations and nesting behavior
• The impact of climate change on marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in the Southern Ocean
• The effectiveness of green certification in promoting sustainable agriculture
• The impact of climate change on oceanographic processes and upwelling systems
• The impact of noise pollution on terrestrial wildlife communication and behavior
• The impact of climate change on coastal erosion and shoreline management
• The effectiveness of green finance in promoting sustainable investment
• The impact of deforestation on indigenous communities and traditional knowledge systems
• The impact of climate change on tropical cyclones and extreme weather events
• The effectiveness of green buildings in promoting energy efficiency and carbon reduction
• The impact of plastic pollution on marine food webs and trophic interactions
• The impact of climate change on algal blooms and harmful algal blooms in marine ecosystems
• The effectiveness of green business partnerships in promoting sustainable development goals
• The impact of climate change on ocean deoxygenation and its effects on marine life
• The impact of noise pollution on human sleep and rest patterns in urban environments
• The impact of climate change on freshwater availability and management
• The effectiveness of green entrepreneurship in promoting social and environmental justice
• The impact of deforestation on wildlife habitat and biodiversity conservation
• The impact of climate change on the migration patterns and behaviors of birds and mammals
• The effectiveness of green urban planning in promoting sustainable and livable cities
• The impact of plastic pollution on microplastics and nanoplastics in marine ecosystems
• The impact of climate change on marine ecosystem services and their value to society
• The effectiveness of green certification in promoting sustainable forestry
• The impact of climate change on ocean currents and their effects on marine biodiversity
• The impact of noise pollution on urban ecosystems and their ecological functions
• The impact of climate change on freshwater biodiversity and ecosystem functioning
• The effectiveness of green policy implementation in promoting sustainable development
• The impact of deforestation on soil carbon storage and greenhouse gas emissions
• The impact of climate change on marine mammals and their ecosystem roles
• The effectiveness of green product labeling in promoting sustainable consumer behavior
• The impact of plastic pollution on coral reefs and their resilience to climate change
• The impact of climate change on waterborne diseases and public health
• The effectiveness of green energy policies in promoting renewable energy adoption
• The impact of deforestation on carbon storage and sequestration in peatlands
• The impact of climate change on ocean acidification and its effects on marine life
• The effectiveness of green supply chain management in promoting circular economy principles
• The impact of noise pollution on urban birds and their vocal communication
• The impact of climate change on ecosystem services provided by mangrove forests
• The effectiveness of green marketing in promoting sustainable fashion and textiles
• The impact of plastic pollution on deep-sea ecosystems and biodiversity
• The impact of climate change on marine biodiversity hotspots and conservation priorities
• The effectiveness of green investment in promoting sustainable infrastructure development
• The impact of deforestation on ecosystem services provided by agroforestry systems
• The impact of climate change on snow and ice cover and their effects on freshwater ecosystems
• The effectiveness of green tourism in promoting sustainable tourism practices
• The impact of noise pollution on human cognitive performance and productivity
• The impact of climate change on forest fires and their effects on ecosystem services
• The effectiveness of green labeling in promoting sustainable seafood consumption
• The impact of climate change on insect populations and their ecosystem roles
• The impact of plastic pollution on seabird populations and their reproductive success
• The effectiveness of green procurement in promoting sustainable public sector spending
• The impact of deforestation on soil erosion and land degradation
• The impact of climate change on riverine ecosystems and their ecosystem services
• The effectiveness of green certification in promoting sustainable fisheries
• The impact of noise pollution on marine mammals and their acoustic communication
• The impact of climate change on terrestrial carbon sinks and sources
• The effectiveness of green technology transfer in promoting sustainable development
• The impact of deforestation on non-timber forest products and their sustainable use
• The impact of climate change on marine invasive species and their ecological impacts
• The effectiveness of green procurement in promoting sustainable private sector spending
• The impact of plastic pollution on zooplankton populations and their ecosystem roles
• The impact of climate change on wetland ecosystems and their services
• The effectiveness of green education in promoting sustainable behavior change
• The impact of deforestation on watershed management and water quality
• The impact of climate change on soil nutrient cycling and ecosystem functioning
• The effectiveness of green technology innovation in promoting sustainable development
• The impact of noise pollution on human health in outdoor recreational settings
• The impact of climate change on oceanic nutrient cycling and primary productivity
• The effectiveness of green urban design in promoting sustainable and resilient cities
• The impact of plastic pollution on marine microbial communities and their functions
• The impact of climate change on coral reef bleaching and recovery
• The impact of deforestation on ecosystem services provided by community-managed forests
• The impact of climate change on freshwater fish populations and their ecosystem roles
• The effectiveness of green certification in promoting sustainable tourism
• The impact of noise pollution on human stress and cardiovascular health
• The impact of climate change on glacier retreat and their effects on freshwater ecosystems
• The effectiveness of green technology diffusion in promoting sustainable development
• The impact of plastic pollution on sea grass beds and their ecosystem services
• The impact of climate change on forest phenology and productivity.
• The effectiveness of green transportation policies in promoting sustainable mobility
• The impact of deforestation on indigenous peoples’ livelihoods and traditional knowledge
• The impact of climate change on Arctic ecosystems and their biodiversity
• The effectiveness of green building standards in promoting sustainable architecture
• The impact of noise pollution on nocturnal animals and their behavior
• The impact of climate change on migratory bird populations and their breeding success
• The effectiveness of green taxation in promoting sustainable consumption and production
• The impact of deforestation on wildlife corridors and ecosystem connectivity
• The impact of climate change on urban heat islands and their effects on public health
• The effectiveness of green labeling in promoting sustainable forestry practices
• The impact of plastic pollution on sea turtle populations and their nesting success
• The impact of climate change on invasive plant species and their ecological impacts
• The effectiveness of green business practices in promoting sustainable entrepreneurship
• The impact of noise pollution on urban wildlife and their acoustic communication
• The impact of climate change on alpine ecosystems and their services
• The effectiveness of green procurement in promoting sustainable agriculture and food systems
• The impact of deforestation on soil carbon stocks and their effects on climate change
• The impact of climate change on wetland methane emissions and their contribution to greenhouse gas concentrations
• The effectiveness of green certification in promoting sustainable forestry and timber production
• The impact of plastic pollution on marine mammal populations and their health
• The impact of climate change on marine fisheries and their sustainable management
• The effectiveness of green investment in promoting sustainable entrepreneurship and innovation
• The impact of noise pollution on bat populations and their behavior
• The impact of climate change on permafrost thaw and its effects on Arctic ecosystems
• The impact of deforestation on ecosystem services provided by sacred groves
• The impact of climate change on tropical cyclones and their impacts on coastal ecosystems
• The effectiveness of green technology transfer in promoting sustainable agriculture and food systems
• The impact of plastic pollution on benthic macroinvertebrate populations and their ecosystem roles
• The impact of climate change on freshwater invertebrate populations and their ecosystem roles
• The effectiveness of green tourism in promoting sustainable wildlife tourism practices
• The impact of noise pollution on amphibian populations and their communication
• The impact of climate change on mountain ecosystems and their biodiversity
• The effectiveness of green certification in promoting sustainable agriculture and food systems
• The impact of deforestation on indigenous peoples’ food security and nutrition
• The impact of climate change on plant-pollinator interactions and their ecosystem roles
• The impact of plastic pollution on freshwater ecosystems and their services
• The impact of climate change on oceanic currents and their effects on marine ecosystems
• The effectiveness of green investment in promoting sustainable transportation infrastructure
• The impact of noise pollution on human sleep quality and mental health
• The impact of climate change on marine viruses and their effects on marine life
• The effectiveness of green labeling in promoting sustainable packaging and waste reduction
• The impact of deforestation on ecosystem services provided by riparian forests
• The impact of climate change on insect-pollinated crops and their yields
• The effectiveness of green procurement in promoting sustainable waste management
• The impact of plastic pollution on estuarine ecosystems and their services
• The impact of climate change on groundwater recharge and aquifer depletion
• The effectiveness of green education in promoting sustainable tourism practices
• The impact of climate change on coral reefs and their biodiversity
• The effectiveness of green labeling in promoting sustainable clothing and textile production
• The impact of deforestation on riverine fish populations and their fishery-dependent communities
• The impact of climate change on mountain water resources and their availability
• The effectiveness of green certification in promoting sustainable tourism accommodations
• The impact of plastic pollution on deep-sea ecosystems and their biodiversity
• The impact of climate change on sea-level rise and its effects on coastal ecosystems and communities
• The effectiveness of green energy policies in promoting renewable energy production
• The impact of noise pollution on human cardiovascular health
• The impact of climate change on biogeochemical cycles in marine ecosystems
• The effectiveness of green labeling in promoting sustainable personal care and cosmetic products
• The impact of deforestation on carbon sequestration and its effects on climate change
• The impact of climate change on wildfire frequency and severity
• The effectiveness of green procurement in promoting sustainable energy-efficient technologies
• The impact of plastic pollution on beach ecosystems and their tourism potential
• The impact of climate change on marine mammals and their habitat range shifts
• The effectiveness of green urban design in promoting sustainable and livable neighborhoods
• The impact of noise pollution on urban human and wildlife communities
• The impact of climate change on soil microorganisms and their roles in nutrient cycling
• The effectiveness of green labeling in promoting sustainable electronics and e-waste management
• The impact of deforestation on watershed services and their effects on downstream ecosystems and communities
• The impact of climate change on human migration patterns and their impacts on urbanization
• The effectiveness of green investment in promoting sustainable water management and infrastructure
• The impact of plastic pollution on seabird populations and their nesting success
• The impact of climate change on ocean acidification and its effects on marine ecosystems
• The effectiveness of green certification in promoting sustainable fisheries and aquaculture
• The impact of noise pollution on terrestrial carnivore populations and their communication
• The impact of climate change on snow and ice dynamics in polar regions
• The effectiveness of green tourism in promoting sustainable cultural heritage preservation
• The impact of deforestation on riverine water quality and their effects on aquatic life
• The impact of climate change on forest fires and their ecological effects
• The effectiveness of green labeling in promoting sustainable home appliances and energy use
• The impact of plastic pollution on marine invertebrate populations and their ecosystem roles
• The impact of climate change on soil erosion and its effects on agricultural productivity
• The effectiveness of green procurement in promoting sustainable construction materials and waste reduction
• The impact of noise pollution on marine mammal populations and their behavior
• The impact of climate change on ocean circulation and its effects on marine life
• The effectiveness of green investment in promoting sustainable forest management
• The impact of deforestation on medicinal plant populations and their traditional uses
• The impact of climate change on wetland ecosystems and their carbon storage capacity
• The effectiveness of green urban planning in promoting sustainable and resilient cities
• The impact of plastic pollution on seabed ecosystems and their biodiversity
• The effectiveness of green certification in promoting sustainable palm oil production
• The impact of noise pollution on bird populations and their communication
• The impact of climate change on freshwater quality and its effects on aquatic life
• The effectiveness of green labeling in promoting sustainable food packaging and waste reduction
• The impact of deforestation on streamflow and its effects on downstream

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Environmental health research and the COVID-19 pandemic: A turning point towards sustainability

a David C. Lam Institute for East-West Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China

b Department of Geography, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China

Based on a review of COVID-19 research from an environmental health perspective, this study theorizes the interdependence of the society, environment and health, and presents an integrated framework for environmental health problems arising due to COVID-19. Five guiding principles are proposed for conducting environmental health research, including employing a transdisciplinary approach, embracing complexity and uncertainty, addressing vulnerability, boosting resilience and promoting sustainable development. This study propagates that the pandemic could be an opportunity for sustainable transformation, wherein visionary leadership that facilitates sustainability policies based on environmental health science is required. This study can serve as a consolidated guide for professionals and stakeholders who conduct environmental health research in this challenging field.

1. Introduction and study design

Studies of the transmission dynamics of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have found that several environmental factors can affect COVID-19 transmission. These factors include meteorological factors, outdoor and indoor air quality, relative humidity, water and wastewater, fomites, solid waste, and soil ( Núñez-Delgado, 2020 ; Race et al., 2020 ; Rahimi et al., 2020 ). For example, there are strong concerns regarding the factors that influence airborne transmission of COVID-19, including air quality index, particulate matter, NO 2 , and temperature ( Domingo et al., 2020 ). In fact, the spread of coronavirus could be considered air-pollutant-to-human transmission rather than direct human-to-human transmission, as the concentration of air pollutants combined with low wind speed promotes the process ( Coccia, 2021b ). Furthermore, interdisciplinary studies on environmental and sustainable science are also highly relevant. Coccia (2020b) proposed the dynamic exposure risk factors for epidemics such as COVID-19, which are based on socioeconomic and demographic, climatological, and environmental factors. The air quality implications arising in unsustainable environments can affect the spread of COVID-19 ( Coccia, 2020a ). The pandemic was initially considered a healthcare crisis; however, due to the recognition of the interdependent nature and complexity of various environmental health issues, the crisis can be more accurately considered a global environmental health issue.

Furthermore, the pandemic is dramatically reshaping the world and it presents a huge challenge to ensuring long-term sustainability in the post-COVID-19 era ( Chakraborty and Maity, 2020 ). For instance, there is a growing concern that the pandemic may undermine the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty by 2030, as global poverty may increase for the first time since 1990 ( Sumner et al., 2020 ). However, this crisis could also be considered an opportunity for transformation, and the SDG framework could function as a useful guide to identify integrated solutions while minimizing the negative trade-offs ( Tonne, 2021 ).

The current situation has thus made it clear that our health and wellbeing are delicate, interconnected, and dependent on the health of other people, animals and the planet. There is an urgent need for research that addresses the fundamental interdependence of society, the environment, and every being's health. Collective action needs to be taken to deal with the societal, health and environmental challenges we face. These challenges brought about by COVID-19 call for a holistic approach to dissect the complex and multifaceted interactions within the various domains.

With the goal of creating a sustainable strategy to manage future global crises, this study addresses the following research questions: What are the environmental health problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic? What is environmental health, and what are the key guiding principles of environmental health research? How can sustainable development be achieved in the post-COVID-19 era? This paper provides an overview of the research related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and highlights the interdependence of environmental health issues. It also attempts to provide guiding principles for environmental health research to address current challenges, promote environmental health studies, and achieve long-term sustainability.

This study systematically identifies and reviews relevant literature, based on the selection method proposed by Kumar et al. (2019) . The review is based on a comprehensive search of peer-reviewed, scientific English publications in the Google Scholar search engine and PubMed databases, using various combinations of the following keywords according to Boolean search string strategy: COVID-19, coronavirus, environmental health, sustainable development, and sustainability. These searches retrieved articles that were published before February 28, 2021. The process of collection and identification of literature for the study ensured that relevant high-impact literature was systematically collated. To identify research priorities and formulate the best applicable recommendations, the existing knowledge was synthesized by critical analysis of the literature and a foundation laid for presenting the complex environmental health problems arising due to COVID-19, and in addition, guiding principles for environmental health research were proposed.

The rest of this paper is organized as follows. First, a theoretical framework for environmental health research is presented, where environmental health is positioned as a complex interdependence of the environment and health within a socioeconomic structure. This concept is then reviewed in two parts. The first part deals with environmental health problems arising due to COVID-19. The second part proposes the guiding principles of environmental health research in response to COVID-19 and beyond. To conclude, the findings are discussed, and the policy implications are presented.

2. A framework of environmental health research

A variety of methods have been proposed to define environmental health ( Ahmad et al., 2019 ; Frumkin, 2016 ). To clarify the meaning of the concept, the definitions of environment and health are first discussed. “Environment” can be conceptualized in various ways and from different perspectives, which could vary from the most inclusive to the most restrictive ( Pruss-Ustun et al., 2006 ). Thus, the boundaries of “environment” should be defined based on the focus of the question ( Sauvé et al., 2016 ). Here, the physical environment, which defines the environment as external conditions and surroundings that affect the quality of life of humans, animals and plants, is emphasized. The physical environment includes both built and natural environments. The built environment includes buildings, spaces, and transportation systems that are created or modified by people, while the latter refers to an environment that is not the result of human intervention ( Northridge et al., 2003 ).

The physical, psychological and social elements of an individual's health and well-being influence each other, and the society also has an impact on the perception of the health and well-being of an individual. Thus, we address the concept of “health” at both the individual and the population levels. The current definition of environmental diseases and the environmental exposure assessment criteria need to be broadened and improved ( Sly et al., 2016 ). According to the WHO, 24% of global deaths are linked to the environment; there were roughly 13.7 million deaths in 2016, indicating that almost one-quarter of the global disease burden is linked to unhealthy environmental conditions ( World Health Organization, 2020a ). Additionally, it has been identified that the determinant factors of health include the social and economic situation, physical environment, and the individual's characteristics and behavior ( Marmot and Wilkinson, 2005 ). Based on the inequality in health conditions, these factors interact within the different layers and can be used to guide environmental health research and trace the paths from socioeconomic structure.

Epidemiological studies have successfully identified the potential risk factors for diseases. However, the identification of individual-based risk factors is inadequate. Attention needs to be paid to social factors, such as socioeconomic status and social support, as these affect disease outcomes through multiple mechanisms ( Link and Phelan, 1995 ). Furthermore, the developed society disrupts ecology, increases people's vulnerability to diseases, and facilitates disease transmission, and these consequences affect all aspects of society and human health.

To achieve sustainable development, the interconnected systems co-evolving across spatial and temporal scales that influence the balance between health and socio-ecological systems have to be taken into consideration ( Whitmee et al., 2015 ). Thus, the scope of environmental health research is not limited to merely public health, as the contribution and collaboration of the social sciences offer great potential for improving public and environmental health ( Cordner et al., 2019 ).

The definition of environmental health proposed in this study includes the dynamic and complex interdependence of the environment and health within the socioeconomic structure. This would improve the understanding of the interconnections between social determinants, human well-being and the physical environment, including the potential for preventing adverse effects and would contribute toward ensuring a long-term sustainable environment. The conceptual framework ( Fig. 1 ) illustrates the domains of environmental health research and the connection between them. A socio-ecological systems approach is required to facilitate holistic studies ( Virapongse et al., 2016 ). This would also address the implications of environmental health interventions in the reduction of social inequalities, environmental degradation, and health disparities ( Schulz and Northridge, 2004 ).

A framework of environmental health research: integrating the issues of society, environment and health.

3.1. Complex environmental health problems arising from COVID-19

• • Society

Wide-ranging sociological issues have arisen due to the global impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. Measures such as social distancing, household quarantine, and travel restrictions have been effective in limiting the transmission ( Chinazzi et al., 2020 ). However, due to these restrictions, the workforce across all economic sectors has been reduced, which has sparked the fear of an economic crisis and worldwide recession ( Nicola et al., 2020 ). The unemployment rate increased dramatically and participation in the labor force declined by seven percentage points globally, triggering a massive global unemployment crisis ( Coibion et al., 2020 ). As international travel has been restricted, the effect of the pandemic on the tourism industry may be seen for a long period even after lockdowns are eased ( Gössling et al., 2020 ).

At the same time, the burdened healthcare systems around the world have been struggling to respond to the global health emergency. The pandemic is testing all national health systems. A recent WHO global pulse survey found that 90% of the world's countries have reported disruptions to essential health services since the COVID-19 outbreak ( World Health Organization, 2020b ). Furthermore, the well-being of the healthcare workforce is the cornerstone of the healthcare system. The overwhelming burden and increased workload that the pandemic has put on these providers could lead to caregiver burnout ( Moazzami et al., 2020 ). For instance, COVID-19 has had an impact on maternal and neonatal health services globally, and the number of institutional childbirths has fallen by half, while the rates of stillbirths and neonatal mortality have risen dramatically during the lockdown ( Ashish et al., 2020 ). This crisis demonstrates the need for basic infection prevention and control measures, and the importance of ensuring that these minimum requirements are effectively implemented ( Hopman et al., 2020 ).

This crisis has also challenged the food supply chain. Disruptions induced by COVID-19 have had an impact on all four factors associated with food security: availability, access, utilization, and stability ( Laborde et al., 2020 ). To resolve the profound disruptions, a transformative food supply chain is needed ( Mollenkopf et al., 2020 ). For example, consumers reacted to the disruptions by hoarding products in anticipation of food shortages, and there has been a dramatic shift in shopping behavior from physical store purchases to online shopping. Many people have been struggling to afford food because of job losses and the shifting demand for food pantries. Additionally, farmworkers are not available to harvest crops because of the sudden shift in demand and related regulations. This is in addition to the short-term disruptions in eating habits that have led to food loss and wastage due to the lockdowns ( Aldaco et al., 2020 ).

Many countries have implemented national school closures as a response to the pandemic. However, this situation might turn an initial health issue into educational inequality that will have long-lasting consequences, especially for children from low-income families. For instance, school closures exacerbate food insecurity as schools are a place for learning and healthy eating for many students from a background of poverty. Furthermore, non-school factors are the primary sources of inequalities in educational outcomes ( Van Lancker and Parolin, 2020 ). Even though this situation has accelerated the opportunities for remote teaching ( Lyons et al., 2020 ), the accessibility of students to online learning platforms is determined by their family situation and social factors. Moreover, a large-scale, rapid shift to teleworking (work from home or home office) happened during the lockdown period, and this has created a need for the development of public policies for the emerging work arrangement ( Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2020 ). In addition, not only did the coronavirus spread rapidly, but it also led to misinformation, including misleading rumors and conspiracy, which resulted in widespread panic and unhelpful measures ( Depoux et al., 2020 ). Information overload, false information, and frequent social media exposure are associated with a high prevalence of mental health problems ( Gao et al., 2020 ).

• • Environment

The global response to the pandemic led to a sudden and temporary reduction in anthropogenic greenhouse gases and aerosol emissions ( Le Quéré et al., 2020 ; Timmermann et al., 2020 ), as well as an improvement in the water quality ( Lokhandwala and Gautam, 2020 ). Reduced human mobility during the pandemic significantly reduced the unintended disruptive effects on animal movement ( Rutz et al., 2020 ). Pollution has been reduced on a global scale.( Muhammad et al., 2020 ). However, this direct impact of the pandemic-driven response on the global climate might be limited in the long term ( Forster et al., 2020 ).

As the environmental impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are still evolving, it is premature to conclude whether the pandemic will have an overall positive or negative effect overall on the environment. The indirect effects of COVID-19 on the environment include improvement in air quality, lower carbon emissions, clean beaches and reduced noise pollution. However, this is not a sustainable way to clean the environment. The negative side effects such as increased waste and reduction in recycling may last longer, and could be more challenging to manage ( Zambrano-Monserrate et al., 2020 ). For instance, ubiquitous single-use face masks, surgical gloves and sanitizers have led to the generation of widespread medical waste and environmental pollution ( Saadat et al., 2020 ). It has been estimated that 129 billion face masks and 65 billion gloves are used per month globally. Additionally, the mismanagement of personal protective equipment poses a risk to public health, as waste is a vector for coronavirus. Furthermore, the impact on ecosystems and organisms is also considerable ( Prata et al., 2020 ). The polymer-based face mask waste is a potential source of microplastic pollution in the environment ( Aragaw, 2020 ; Fadare and Okoffo, 2020 ).

The built environment also has the potential to affect an individual's health and well-being ( Northridge et al., 2003 ). Considerations of the built environment are critical for building design, decision-making processes, and infection control mechanisms that are implemented by public administrators and individuals ( Dietz et al., 2020 ). Urban density, which is defined as the intrinsic capacity of a city, is an important consideration when implementing preventive physical segregation policies such as lockdowns and social distancing in public transport, public spaces, and shared facilities ( Lai et al., 2020 ). As there is a potential for the airborne transmission of COVID-19, the risk is high in indoor and crowded environments that do not have adequate ventilation, particularly in public buildings, workplaces, schools, and confined spaces (airplanes, passenger cars, and healthcare centers), where hand washing and social distancing might be insufficient to protect people from the virus-carrying respiratory microdroplets released into the air ( Jayaweera et al., 2020 ; Morawska and Milton, 2020 ). A parallel reduction in airborne transmission using appropriate building engineering controls to improve indoor air quality, enhance particle filtration and air disinfection, and avoidance of air recirculation, would be effective strategies to limit the risk of infection indoors ( Megahed and Ghoneim, 2020b ; Morawska et al., 2020 ). Overall, COVID-19 poses a challenge at all levels in the built environment. To reduce the potential risks or to stop the coronavirus from spreading, it is needed to assess the current architecture and urbanism, and develop an antivirus-built environment ( Megahed and Ghoneim, 2020a ).

• • Health

Vulnerable populations at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 include the elderly population, people with hypertension, diabetes or cardiovascular disease risk factors, and patients with respiratory diseases or conditions ( Jiménez-Pavón et al., 2020 ). Unhealthy habits such as smoking might be associated with the severity and adverse outcomes of COVID-19 ( Vardavas and Nikitara, 2020 ). One study reported an upward linear trend in the likelihood of COVID-19 hospitalization with increasing body mass index, suggesting that obesity and overweight are risk factors that increase the chances of contracting the infection ( Hamer et al., 2020 ). Obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease are also associated with a more severe course of COVID-19 ( Stefan et al., 2020 ). Additionally, lifestyle changes such as household quarantine and lockdowns, could also induce negative health effects. For example, when children are out of school, they have lesser physical activity, longer screen time, irregular sleep patterns and less favorable diets, resulting in weight gain and a loss of cardiorespiratory fitness ( Wang et al., 2020 ).

Furthermore, the interaction between the physical and psychological effects of COVID-19 can create a vicious circle. Related negative psychological effects include post-traumatic stress symptoms, confusion, and anger. Longer quarantine duration, fear of infection, frustration, boredom, inadequate supplies and information, financial loss, and stigma are stress factors during and after quarantine ( Brooks et al., 2020 ). Concerns over psychosocial and mental health issues have also been raised. Mental health support is particularly needed for healthcare workers, childcare providers, children, the elderly, people with underlying health conditions, and people living in isolation. To deal with the challenges arising due to the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers have had to make difficult decisions and work under extreme pressure that may increase the risk of injury and mental health problems ( Greenberg et al., 2020 ). The pandemic has had a substantial impact on parents and children, and a national survey conducted in the United States reported that 27% of parents reported worsening mental health, and 14% reported worsening behavioral health of their children ( Patrick et al., 2020 ). At this stage, it is critical to address issues such as domestic violence and child abuse ( Galea et al., 2020 ).

Additionally, the pressing needs of individuals undergoing loss and grief have to be dealt with. Losses are associated with significant events and consequences, such as loss of loved ones, as well as major life changes such as job loss ( Zhai and Du, 2020 ). Unemployment and unprecedented disruption of life and work can lead to distress and lower life satisfaction ( Zhang et al., 2020 ). This may lead to an increase in suicidal ideation and behavior among individuals who are already facing mental health issues ( Klomek, 2020 ).

3.2. Guiding principles for environmental health research

The challenges of the COVID-19 outbreak have brought forth a unique opportunity to re-emphasize, recharge, and jumpstart the vision of environmental health studies. Social systems, across the world, have been stalled and these should be reinstated through compassionate collaboration which would ensure that they are redesigned and rebuilt, post-COVID-19 era, in a sustainable manner ( Robinson, 2020 ).

To initiate an exchange of ideas on the most pressing environmental health challenges and how these can be addressed through collaborative research between public health and social scientists, five key guiding principles for environmental health research have been proposed ( Fig. 2 ). These include a transdisciplinary approach, embracing complexity and uncertainty, addressing vulnerability, boosting resilience, and sustainable development. As there is no globally applied working list and schedule, the focus would be on how to achieve better results for environmental health studies that are applicable worldwide.

• • Transdisciplinary approach

Guiding principles for environmental health research.

The COVID-19 pandemic presents a transdisciplinary societal challenge. Effective responses to the complexity, emergence and uncertainty of the pandemic and the compound nature of social, environmental and health impacts require coordinated systemic thinking and actions ( Lawrence, 2020 ).

It has become increasingly obvious that there are limitations in using isolated disciplines to understand and address complex issues triggered by the pandemic. Neglecting this multiplicity may lead to misleading conclusions and confusion concerning public responsibilities ( Moradian et al., 2020 ). COVID-19 could be the accelerator of an expanded research paradigm transition toward a comprehensive, synthetic, and transdisciplinary science ( Bontempi et al., 2020 ). Understanding environmental health problems requires expertise in different fields and a multidimensional perspective. It requires a transdisciplinary approach that transgresses traditional disciplinary boundaries, maps different methods and procedures of knowledge integration, and translates environmental health theory into practice. This could ensure policymakers, regulators, public health officials, and other stakeholders are better equipped to ameliorate the impact of future pandemics ( Hoover et al., 2015 ).

Transdisciplinary research combines interdisciplinarity with a participatory approach. This integrates academic researchers from different disciplines and non-academic participants and leads to the development of integrated knowledge and theories based on science and society ( Pohl, 2011 ). This promotes a holistic approach to understanding the complexity of existing environmental challenges, considers the diversity of life and scientific perceptions of problems, link abstracts and case-specific knowledge, and could lead to the creation of new knowledge and practices that would promote the common good ( Cronin, 2008 ). This approach could also provide a systematic and comprehensive theoretical framework for the analysis of socio-environmental factors that influence human health and well-being ( Rosenfield, 1992 ). Furthermore, it would shift the focus from traditional epistemology to problem-solving, from pre-given to emergent, and from universality to hybridity and contextuality ( Klein, 2015 ). Transdisciplinary environmental health research guided by the goal of sustainable development can be a powerful tool for social change ( Wahl and Baxter, 2008 ).

Compared to a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach, the degree of integration and stakeholder involvement in a transdisciplinary approach would be relatively high ( Mauser et al., 2013 ). Hence, this study addresses two characteristics of the transdisciplinary approach in environmental health studies: high integration and stakeholder involvement.

First, a transdisciplinary approach requires integrative problem-solving as opposed to analytic problem solving that is typically employed by reductionist approaches ( Madni, 2010 ). A multidisciplinary approach attempts to sum up disciplinary knowledge, whereas an interdisciplinarity approach aims to integrate disciplines ( Tress et al., 2005 ). Thus, different perspectives would merely lead to multidisciplinary work without meaningful integration ( Repko and Szostak, 2020 ).

Integration is the core cognitive feature in the transdisciplinary research process ( Jahn et al., 2012 ). This is an iterative process that involves ongoing reflection among scholars and practitioners representing diverse scientific disciplines and epistemologies, working together to develop novel conceptual and methodological approaches that would synthesize and extend disciplinary knowledge to identify innovative solutions for particular problems ( Stokols et al., 2013 ). Transdisciplinary environmental health research requires knowledge integration from individual research areas, cooperation areas and fields, and identifying objectives and questions to develop a common vision. It involves the development of systems knowledge, target knowledge, and transformation knowledge ( Pohl and Hadorn, 2007 ). To assist the knowledge integration process, some integration tools can be developed by transferring and adapting concepts between disciplines or creating new joint bridge concepts to merge disciplinary perspectives ( Polk, 2015 ). Hence, “knowledge brokers” play a crucial role in building bridges between all participants alongside the processes, such as knowledge translation and community engagement ( Pennell et al., 2013 ). Knowledge translation is often considered as a solution to improve the relevance and benefits of basic research ( Archibald et al., 2018 ), and systems thinking plays a complementary role in leading the process. Tentative explanations are being formed as time progresses, and these assist in articulating elements of the system to aid understanding and consider interventions. An effective methodology to formulate systemic explanations is the use of illustrations ( Coghlan, 2019 ). Thus, systems thinking explicitly provides a mechanism to integrate the societal, environmental, and health factors associated with sustainability ( Cordell, 2010 ).

Second, a transdisciplinary approach is characterized by a multitude of stakeholders at all levels of the research process ( Groβ and Stauffacher, 2014 ; Mauser et al., 2013 ). Stakeholder involvement crosses disciplinary boundaries, involves non-academic individuals and institutions, and it is critical for scientific knowledge development and practical knowledge application ( Hadorn et al., 2008 ). In a response to the increasingly complex environmental health issues, there is a growing trend to conduct research in large intersectoral collaborative programs ( Roux et al., 2010 ). Scientists need to strengthen partnerships and engage in collaborative efforts with a wide range of international, national, and subnational partners to address the pressing challenges at the global, national, and local levels to ensure a sustainable future ( Gerding et al., 2020 ; Tong et al., 2010 ).

Transdisciplinary environmental health research would benefit from high levels of stakeholder involvement during the entire process. The category “intensity” of the involvement includes “information, consultation, collaboration, and empowerment” ( Brandt et al., 2013 ). Stakeholder empowerment is a process in which stakeholders are given a voice, and this strategy has been successful in addressing several environmental health issues ( Späth and Scolobig, 2017 ; Sprengel and Busch, 2011 ). For instance, a “bottom-up” program offered some special insights into the strengths, and challenges of stakeholder empowerment. In this community-based participatory research, professionals provided training and technical support to community members to enable them to conduct research on issues of their interest and concern ( Wilderman et al., 2004 ). The effectiveness of stakeholder involvement is essential to gain new insights regarding environmental health research, generate a shared understanding of the research problems, and attain team objectives ( Hall et al., 2012 ). It also requires a clear formulation of common goals among participants and the effective flow of knowledge to stimulate mutual learning. Importantly, active mentorship would ensure that all dimensions of complexity are considered, collaborative participation in building connections across disciplines is facilitated with an open-minded attitude, and collaborative work is undertaken to address complex environmental health problems ( Matz et al., 2016 ).

• • Embracing complexity and uncertainty

Environmental health problems are complex and accompanied by uncertainty. As compound social and natural systems are intrinsically impermanent and dynamic, complexity and uncertainty are recognized as two central characteristics of research ( Méndez, 2015 ). The complexity of the dynamic processes and the interacting elements that govern the health status require scientists to adopt a comprehensive perspective and develop a holistic understanding of the system ( Albrecht et al., 1998 ), which can assist them in structuring an integrated strategy to achieve sustainability.

COVID-19 is a striking example of a complex environmental health challenge with exceptionally unpredictable aspects, as the strain of the coronavirus has also been mutating and changing ( Korber et al., 2020 ). Interspecies interactions, particularly those between humans, animals and pathogens, have drawn attention to the nonlinearity and unpredictability of environmental health concerns. These interactions are dynamic and have been evolving constantly and encompass interrelations within and across microbial populations, hosts and immune responses, and economic and political contexts ( Senanayake and King, 2019 ). Unfortunately, many lives have been lost due to COVID-19. The all-pervading uncertainty that the pandemic has revealed are alarming. To begin, it is essential to accept that not everything is within our control, and that it is important to develop the capability to live humbly, harmoniously, reasonably, and healthily. Furthermore, having the courage to embrace complexity and face uncertainty with a positive attitude would lead to better preparedness, and would help decision-makers to respond more effectively in the complex and uncertain world.

• • Addressing vulnerability

In environmental health research, vulnerability refers not only to the impact of exposure and sensitivity but also the adaptive capacity ( Tong et al., 2010 ), which originates from the following factors: physical fragility or exposure, socio-economic fragility, and lack of resilience ( De León and Carlos, 2006 ). Vulnerability can be assessed at various levels, including social, environmental, and health vulnerability ( Cutter et al., 2003 ).

In low and middle-income countries, halting the spread of COVID-19 was much more challenging due to relatively weaker healthcare systems, limited resources, and the lower socio-economic status of the population. Attention has to be focused on the well-being of vulnerable populations, such as the homeless, indigenous, migrant, and imprisoned populations, people living with disabilities, and the elderly ( Mesa et al., 2020 ). Furthermore, the inequities in risk are compounded by structural disparities in the society. For example, race, ethnicity, and income are associated with the risk of illness due to COVID-19 ( Raifman and Raifman, 2020 ).

Socioeconomic status is closely linked to whether people are exposed to high-quality engagement activities, and the inequality of social capital could exacerbate social vulnerability and risk ( Ge et al., 2019 ). It is essential to recognize pandemics and how societal, economic, and political determinants of health influence decision-making processes ( Smith and Judd, 2020 ). Thus, investing in addressing social inequality can also be considered as an investment toward solving environmental health problems.

There is a link between health inequity and environmental degradation, whereby severe environmental health impacts have been observed in the lowest-income households, and those who are already vulnerable to other deprivations ( Leichenko and Silva, 2014 ). Human activities lead to increased environmental vulnerability. There is increasing evidence that the scale of the human enterprise has outstripped the resources available on the rapidly changing planet, and this has led to the disruption of the global climate system, widespread pollution, rapid biodiversity loss, reconfiguration of the biogeochemical cycle, pervasive changes in land use and land cover, and resource scarcity ( Myers, 2017 ). This widespread ecosystem degradation will undoubtedly affect human health and well-being, and the potential impact of environmental vulnerability needs to be assessed in order to develop adaptation strategies, policies and measures to reduce the adverse impacts ( Ebi et al., 2006 ).

• • Boosting resilience

Resilience is a multi-dimensional process that implies the adaptive capacity available to deal with disturbances and changes in individual, institutional, and ecological systems across scales ( Almedom, 2008 ). Vulnerability and resilience are reciprocal terms, which imply that a more vulnerable system would be less resilient, and a system is less vulnerable when it is more resilient ( De León and Carlos, 2006 ). Many people have made psychological adjustments to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak ( Chen and Bonanno, 2020 ), thus boosting their resilience has become an international priority. Strategies based on the recommendations of epidemiologists and public health experts from social and behavioral sciences can help in aligning human behavior ( Van Bavel et al., 2020 ).

Humans are highly adaptable to environmental and social changes. From an environmental health perspective, resilience should be increased within the social, environmental and health systems, to ensure better response to and recovery from arising challenges ( Kelley, 2013 ).

Social resilience is the capacity to cope with and adapt to environmental and social changes mediated through appropriate institutions. All aspects of demographic change, including migration, impact the social resilience of individuals and communities, as well as the sustainability of the underlying resource base ( Adger et al., 2002 ). Resilience provides a useful framework to analyze the adaptation processes and identify appropriate policy responses ( Nelson et al., 2007 ). For instance, regional economic resilience is determined based on a complex array of economic, institutional, political, and historical impacts ( Tan et al., 2017a , b ), and it should be observed from an evolutionary perspective ( Tan et al., 2017a , b ).

Environmental challenges require public health practitioners to acquire the latest knowledge on ecology, and advocate equality, new economics, and sustainable development ( Middleton, 2008 ). Managing socio-ecological resilience is related to promoting health and well-being ( Bunch et al., 2011 ). The characteristics of resilience encompass the wider social and economic determinants of public health. Important elements of health resilience include communication, learning, adaptation, risk awareness, and social capital. Therefore, community resilience is critical to ensure public health and for the purpose of emergency planning ( Castleden et al., 2011 ).

Personal resilience is a critical domain of well-being ( Bohman et al., 2017 ). It can be viewed as a defense mechanism that enables individuals to thrive during adversities. Improving personal resilience is considered as an important target for treatment and prophylaxis ( Davydov et al., 2010 ). Meanwhile, there is a bidirectional relationship between systems-level and individual resilience. Effective interventions to enhance resilience must be based on the fact that resilience at the individual level is dependent on multiple layers of the society ( Sippel et al., 2015 ). It is imperative to take into consideration the opinion of all those who have been physically or mentally affected by the pandemic and to ensure that research findings are translated into practice.

• • Sustainable development

Sustainable development includes policies, projects, and investments that provide benefits without sacrificing social, environmental, and personal health in the long term ( World Health Organization, 2020c ). The concept of sustainability was first introduced in environmental studies; the concept is considered more holistically now and used in the context of a complex global system that incorporates diverse systems ( Lo, 2015 ).

The declining condition of the natural environment has an impact on human health, and this has made the present healthcare achievements fragile. Furthermore, there are growing concerns that the contemporary patterns of economic development are unsustainable, and these have led to population growth, consumption increase, and excessive use of natural products and services ( Dasgupta and Ehrlich, 2013 ). To address the challenging environmental health issues, it is necessary to ensure sustainability. Here, the importance of the integration of a sustainable society, environment and health is highlighted.

The COVID-19 pandemic has provided an opportunity to reduce the dependence and use of large volumes of energy and material ( Cohen, 2020 ). Sustainable transformation, alongside actions that are farsighted and lead to long-term structural changes, is urgently needed. For instance, considering social justice, the process of shifting the socio-ecological systems toward sustainability is critical, and can have substantial social impacts and facilitate sustainable decision-making processes ( Bennett et al., 2019 ). The politics of sustainable energy transitions are now at a critical juncture, in which the form and direction of state support for post-COVID-19 economic recovery are critical ( Kuzemko et al., 2020 ). The pandemic has had a massive impact, and may fundamentally change the pathways and trajectories of sustainable energy development ( Lo, 2020 ).

Furthermore, the reactions to the pandemic may provide useful insights regarding how to facilitate transformation to ensure sustainable supply and production ( Sarkis et al., 2020 ). Human behavior plays a pivotal role in reducing damage and the magnitude of adverse environmental health consequences. By having a clear understanding of behavioral determinants, policymakers can harness an array of regulatory and incentive-based interventions to encourage sustainable lifestyles and encourage a shift in human habits and behavior, such as sustainable diet and consumption ( Clonan and Holdsworth, 2012 ; Gilg et al., 2005 ; Hobson, 2001 ). Additionally, considering the rise of sustainable development and the emphasis placed on individual actions for the same, sustainable lifestyles can be framed in everyday practices with high effectiveness ( Barr and Gilg, 2006 ). This can be encouraged through technological and social innovations ( Mont et al., 2014 ). For example, the ongoing accumulation of knowledge and innovative activities aimed at addressing the COVID-19 pandemic indicate the evolution of innovation and technological exaptation in the context of crisis management ( Ardito et al., 2021 ).

4. Discussion and policy implications

The significant impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are intimately interconnected, as human health issues do not exist in isolation, nor are they separated from socio-ecological systems. The model ( Fig. 3 ) summarizes the impacts of COVID-19, and also illustrates the importance of identifying the interdependence of social, environmental and health problems, as these issues interact with each other in complex, emergent and unpredictable ways.

Complex environmental health problems brought by COVID-19 and the interdependence of society, environment and health.

For instance, an individual's lifestyle and behaviors influence the health of human beings, animals and ecosystems, which in turn, influence human biology, psychology and ecology. The prevalence and spread of a disease can be mediated through interactive biological, ecological, social as well as epidemiologic processes, and is directly or indirectly influenced by climate change ( Chan et al., 1999 ). Human activities have put many species at risk. Deforestation and biodiversity loss are often considered to be the key drivers of zoonotic disease emergence ( Poudel, 2020 ). During the COVID-19 outbreak, quarantine and lockdown measures led to a significant increase in low cloud coverage and relative humidity due to a decrease in travel and economic activities ( Timmermann et al., 2020 ). Coccia (2021a) has demonstrated that geo-environmental factors, such as air pollution in cities, may accelerate the transmission and infection of COVID-19. Meanwhile, as residential space has become the main place where people could live, work, socialize, and so forth, poor housing has been associated with an increased risk of depressive symptoms. In other words, housing has become a key determinant of health. To investigate the effects of the built environment on mental health, it is necessary to consider various disciplines such as urban planning, public mental health, environmental health, epidemiology, and sociology ( Amerio et al., 2020 ).

The COVID-19 pandemic has also indicated that environmental health problems can be effectively dealt with by changing human behavior and lifestyles. Although the positive impact of COVID-19 on the environment might be temporary, it can serve as an important indicator of how to reduce pollution, how best to share space with other species, and how the climate system will respond to the implementation of air pollution mitigation strategies on a long-term basis ( El Zowalaty et al., 2020 ). It is time to reinvent lifestyles, forge a mutually beneficial coexistence with the environment, and reconsider the importance of a healthy ecosystem for the well-being of all ( Rutz et al., 2020 ).

Subsequently, it is essential to recognize pandemics and how societal, economic and political determinants of health can influence decision making ( Smith and Judd, 2020 ). The policy implications of this study are as follows: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic provide insights regarding visionary leadership that facilitates sustainable policy development based on environmental health science. Additionally, the proposed guiding principles for environmental health research can support the implementation of long-term and effective strategies to assist policymakers in coping with future crises similar to the global pandemic and to achieve effective sustainable transformation.

To accelerate progress toward achieving the SDGs, policymakers should ensure improved coordination to implement policies and apply integrated decisions based on international scientific cooperation ( Coccia and Wang, 2016 ). Governmental projects on environmental health promotion can combine social and environmental factors and allow permanent sector policy integration ( Holm et al., 2015 ). A participatory approach that involves the social, cultural, economic, ethnic, gender, and health impacts of all COVID-19 responses is urgently needed ( Corburn et al., 2020 ). Rather than “keeping it simple”, scientists are encouraged to embrace complexity and face uncertainty while conducting research and interacting with decision-makers ( Winkler, 2016 ). There is also an urgent need to assess the vulnerability of environmental health issues from a transdisciplinary perspective, thereby identifying appropriate pre-emptive and adaptation strategies to minimize vulnerability and inequalities, and to promote sustainable development and equity. Additionally, transdisciplinary approaches and resilience objectives are being rapidly developed to inform and improve decision-making. Under the principle of addressing vulnerability and promoting resilience, there is a great opportunity to navigate socio-ecological transformations toward sustainability ( Pereira et al., 2015 ). There is an overarching need to strengthen a “community of practices” to create and implement integrative policies with SDGs and their impacts on global health and socio-ecological system ( Paula, 2018 ).

5. Conclusion

The decisions that the people and governments are taking now as a reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic will shape the world for years to come. It is advisable to learn from the pandemic situation right now and move forward differently. Moreover, it is important to consider how we can be better prepared in the post-COVID-19 era. This could be a turning point in the state of the world where we bravely think beyond business as usual. The linear perspective forgets the interconnectedness of socio-ecological systems and how the systemic properties shape interactions, interdependencies, and interrelationships, whereas nexus planning emphasizes cross-sectoral sustainability and enhances resilience in the case of future shocks, and it could be adopted as a pathway toward sustainable environmental and human health ( Nhamo and Ndlela, 2020 ). Scientists should consider thinking ahead to address the serious challenging questions and the profound impact on all aspects of society in a world that will transform greatly in the coming decades.

The COVID-19 vaccine is underway, and people are eager to return to “normal,” but there is a dire need to redefine the meaning of “normal” or “the new normal” from a holistic perspective. In the past few decades, not much learning has stemmed from previous zoonotic diseases such as SARS, MERS, Avian flu, Ebola, and malaria ( Poudel, 2020 ). Furthermore, as human beings neglected taking care of the earth, socio-ecological systems are facing multiple challenges due to human activities such as over-exploitation and wide-spread pollution of natural systems ( Dorward, 2014 ). The pandemic presents a unique opportunity for us to act in solidarity and convert this crisis into an impetus to achieve the SDGs. It is important to reflect on what we have learned, reset our priorities, revisit the fundamental assumptions, accumulate knowledge to tackle future challenges, and start charting the path for a sustainable world ( Pan and Zhang, 2020 ).

High organizational capacity to respond effectively to crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, is vital to deal with the subsequent socioeconomic influence ( Coccia, 2021a ). Urgent collective action at both the local and global levels is needed to mitigate the potentially devastating effects of COVID-19, and research needs to be conducted to enable a better understanding of these issues. The interaction between humans, animals and the environment has significant relevance in the occurrence of zoonotic diseases. This provides a base for discussion on the integrative approach and studies of diseases that go beyond discipline-specific science ( Bonilla-Aldana et al., 2020 ).

The study of environmental health is based on separate silos of individual subjects and highlights the interdependence of the society, environment and health, at all scales. To support scientists in generating forward-looking contributions and translating the findings into practice, taking both pre-emptive and adaptive actions to protect the world from the consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak, this study suggests a set of guiding principles for environmental health studies, based on the identification of the transdisciplinary nature of these complex issues accompanied by uncertainty, to advocate addressing vulnerability, and boosting resilience for sustainable development.

The results and discussions of this study can serve as a catalyst and would require further research to develop a framework and guiding principles based on environmental health. There is a need for detailed studies regarding how to provide specific policy strategies and ensure effective management of crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and establish sustainable pathways of growth in different environmental, health, and social backgrounds and societies. Thus, this study encourages future efforts in environmental health studies to provide evidence to substantiate comprehensive strategies and support long-term sustainable strategies.

In conclusion, this study draws on environmental health problems that have been caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and presents the guiding principles for future environmental health research. It is expected that environmental health studies will function as a vigorous tool to safeguard and improve the well-being of the society, environment and humans, as a whole. To ensure sustainable transformation, environmental health research will play a vital role.

Declaration of competing interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Acknowledgements

We appreciate the inspiration from the participants from the HEAVEN (Health, Environment, and Vulnerability Exploration Network) symposium. We are also grateful to the journal guest editor and reviewers for their constructive comments that greatly improved the paper.

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Nature’s Secrets: Top 200 Ecology Research Topics

Welcome to the world of Ecology, where the study of nature evolves like an interesting story. Ecology helps us solve the complex relationships between living organisms and their environments. In this fascinating journey, we will see ecology research topics that reveal the secrets of ecosystems, biodiversity, and the delicate balance of nature. 

From understanding how different species react to the impact of human activities on our planet, Ecology offers insights that go beyond the ordinary. 

So, whether you’re fascinated by the web of life in a forest, the dynamics of a coral reef, or the challenges of conservation, these research topics will guide you into the heart of ecological wonders. Let’s start this adventure of knowledge, discovering the hidden secrets that shape the world around us.

What Is Ecology?

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Ecology is the study of how living things interact with each other and their environment. It explores relationships between plants, animals, and their surroundings, helping us understand how nature works and how different elements in ecosystems connect.

What Are The 6 Topics Studied In Ecology?

Ecology studies the relationships between living things and their environment. Here are six topics studied in ecology:

• Ecosystems: Examining how living organisms, like plants and animals, interact with each other and their non living surroundings, such as soil, water, and air.
• Biodiversity: Analyzing the variety of life in different ecosystems, including the number and types of species present.
• Population Dynamics: Understanding how the numbers of individuals in a species change over time, including factors like birth rates, death rates, and migration.
• Community Interactions: Exploring how different species in a specific area interact with each other, such as through competition or cooperation.
• Ecological Succession: Studying the increasing changes in ecosystems over time, including how new communities of plants and animals replace older ones.
• Conservation Biology: Focusing on protecting and preserving ecosystems and species, especially those facing threats or endangerment.

Top 200 Ecology Research Topics

Now the wait is over and here we will be listing top 200 ecology research topics. And they are as:

Top 10 Ecology Research Topics On Biodiversity Conservation

• Conservation Genetics and its Role in Biodiversity Preservation
• Ecological Consequences of Habitat Fragmentation on Biodiversity
• Monitoring and Assessing Biodiversity in Changing Landscapes
• Conservation Strategies for Endangered Species
• The Significance of Protected Areas in Biodiversity Conservation
• Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity Conservation
• Citizen Science Initiatives in Biodiversity Monitoring
• Integrating Indigenous Knowledge in Biodiversity Conservation
• Climate Change Impacts on Biodiversity and Conservation Measures
• Human-Wildlife Conflict and its Implications for Biodiversity Conservation

Top 10 Research Topics On Climate Change Impacts

• Climate Change Effects on Biodiversity and Ecosystems
• Influence of Climate Change on Global Water Resources
• Rising Sea Levels and Coastal Ecosystem Vulnerability
• Climate Change Affects on Agriculture and Food Security
• Extreme Weather Events and their Ecological Consequences
• Ocean Acidification: Ecological and Marine Life Impacts
• Changes in Species Distribution by Climate Change
• Climate Change and Migration Patterns of Wildlife
• Effects of Climate Change on Polar and Alpine Ecosystems
• Climate Change and Human Health: Ecological Perspectives

Top 10 Ecology Research Topics On Habitat Restoration

• Ecosystem Recovery after Habitat Disturbance
• Effects of Restoration Techniques on Soil Health
• Ecological Succession in Restored Habitats
• Invasive Species Management in Restoration Projects
• Role of Native Plant Species in Habitat Restoration
• Impact of Restoration on Wildlife Communities
• Community Engagement in Urban Habitat Restoration
• Restoration of Wetland Ecosystems and Biodiversity
• Historical Ecology and its Role in Habitat Restoration
• Evaluating Long-Term Success of Habitat Restoration Projects

Top 10 Research Topics On Ecosystem Services

• Valuation of Ecosystem Services for purpose of Sustainable Resource Management
• Biodiversity’s Role in Providing Ecosystem Services
• Climate Change Impacts on Ecosystem Services
• Urban Ecosystem Services and Green Infrastructure
• Cultural Ecosystem Services: Linking Nature and Well-being
• Watershed Services: Sustainable Water Resource Management
• Forest Ecosystem Services and Sustainable Forestry Practices
• Marine Ecosystem Services: Conservation and Management
• Agricultural Practices and Ecosystem Service Delivery
• Restoration Ecology for Enhancing Ecosystem Services

Top 10 Ecology Research Topics On Wildlife Ecology

• Behavior and Social Structure of Wild Animal Populations
• Conservation Genetics in Wildlife Management
• Human-Wildlife Conflict and Mitigation Strategies
• Wildlife Habitat Use and Selection
• Effects of Climate Change on Wildlife Ecology
• Wildlife Disease Ecology and Emerging Infectious Diseases
• Predator-Prey Dynamics in Natural Ecosystems
• Movement Ecology and Migration Patterns
• Wildlife Monitoring Techniques and Technology
• Restoration Ecology for Wildlife Habitat Enhancement

Top 10 Ecology Research Topics On Marine Ecology

• Coral Reef Resilience and Conservation
• Marine Biodiversity in Deep-Sea Ecosystems
• Ocean Acidification & its Impact on Marine Life
• Fisheries Management for Sustainable Marine Ecology
• Marine Protected Areas and Conservation Strategies
• Plastic Pollution & its impact on Marine Ecosystems
• Seabird Ecology and Conservation
• Mangrove Ecosystems: Function and Conservation
• Climate Change Impacts on Marine Ecosystems
• Seagrass Ecology and Restoration efforts in Coastal Areas

Top 10 Research Topics On Urban Ecology

• Urban Biodiversity and Conservation Strategies
• Green Spaces & Ecosystem Services in Urban Environments
• Urban Heat Island Effect and Mitigation Measures
• Urban Wildlife Ecology and Human-Wildlife Interactions
• Sustainable Urban Planning and Design for Ecosystem Health
• Urban Agriculture: Impacts on Biodiversity and Food Security
• Air Quality and Urban Tree Canopy: A Nexus in Urban Ecology
• Stormwater Management and Ecological Solutions in Urban Areas
• Urbanization Effects on Microbial Communities in Soil
• Citizen Science Contributions to Urban Ecology Research

Top 10 Ecology Research Topics On Forest Ecology

• Old-Growth Forest Ecology and Conservation
• Forest Fragmentation and its Impact on Biodiversity
• Fire Ecology: Natural Processes and Human Intervention
• Forest Carbon Sequestration and Climate Change Mitigation
• Dynamics of Tree-Soil Interactions in Forest Ecosystems
• Invasive Species Management in Forested Landscapes
• Forest Restoration Ecology and Reforestation Strategies
• Effects of Logging and Timber Harvesting on Forest Ecology
• Microbial Communities in Forest Soils: Diversity and Function
• Ecological Consequences of Climate Change in Forested Regions

Top 10 Research Topics On Invasive Species Management

• Ecological Impacts of Invasive Species
• Mechanisms of Invasion Success
• Early Detection and Rapid Response Strategies
• Effects of Climate Change on Invasive Species Dynamics
• Management Strategies for Aquatic Invasive Species
• Biological Control of Invasive Species
• Evolutionary Responses in Invasive Species
• Community-Level Impacts of Invasive Species
• Economic Costs and Benefits of Invasive Species Management
• Restoration Ecology After Invasive Species Removal

Top 10 Ecology Research Topics On Conservation Genetics

• Genetic Diversity and Conservation of Endangered Species
• Population Genetics of Rare and Threatened Plants
• Conservation Genomics in Wildlife Management
• Genetic Adaptation to Changing Environments
• Genomic Approaches in Assessing Inbreeding Depression
• Landscape Genetics and Habitat Connectivity
• Genetic Monitoring for Effective Conservation
• Genomic Tools in Studying Hybridization and Introgression
• Conservation Genetics of Migratory Species
• Genetic Markers for Non-Invasive Monitoring of Wildlife

Top 10 Research Topics On Landscape Ecology

• Spatial Patterns and Dynamics in Landscape Ecology
• Connectivity and Fragmentation of Landscape
• Urbanization and its Impact on Landscape Structure
• Landscape Heterogeneity and Biodiversity Conservation
• Ecosystem Services in the Context of Landscape Ecology
• Remote Sensing and GIS Applications in Landscape Ecology
• Modeling Landscape Change and Future Scenarios
• Landscape Ecology and Climate Change Impacts
• Land-Use Change Effects on Landscape Patterns
• Resilience and Sustainability in Landscape Ecology

Top 10 Ecology Research Topics On Agroecology

• Sustainable Farming Practices for Agroecosystem Health
• Agroecology and Biodiversity Conservation in Agricultural Landscapes
• Soil Health and Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems
• Organic Farming Systems: Ecological Impacts and Benefits
• Agroecological Approaches to Pest Management
• Agroforestry Systems and Ecosystem Services
• Climate-Resilient Agriculture in Agroecological Frameworks
• Indigenous and Traditional Agro Ecological Knowledge
• Integrating Livestock into Agroecosystems for Sustainability
• Socioeconomic Dimensions of Agroecological Transition

Top 10 Research Topics On Ecological Modeling

• Spatial and Temporal Dynamics in Ecological Models
• Integrating Climate Change in Ecological Modeling
• Agent-Based Modeling in Ecological Studies
• Ecological Network Models: Structure and Dynamics
• Predictive Modeling for Conservation Planning
• Individual-Based Models in Animal Behavior Ecology
• Dynamic Energy Budget Models in Population Ecology
• Bayesian Approaches in Ecological Modeling
• Ecological Niche Modeling for Species Distribution
• Coupling Ecological and Economic Models for Sustainability

Top 10 Ecology Research Topics On Environmental Pollution

• Affects of Air Pollution on Ecosystems and Human Health
• Microplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems: Sources and Effects
• Soil Pollution and its Consequences for Terrestrial Ecology
• Noise Pollution and its Effects on Wildlife Behavior
• Heavy Metal Contamination in Urban Ecosystems
• Emerging Contaminants: Pharmaceuticals in the Environment
• Pesticide Pollution and Agricultural Ecosystems
• Oil Spills and Marine Ecosystems: Recovery and Resilience
• Plastic Waste in Marine Environments: Ecological Impacts
• Urbanization and its Role in Environmental Pollution

Top 10 Research Topics On Ecotourism Impact

• Ecotourism and Biodiversity Conservation
• Socioeconomic Impacts of Ecotourism on Local Communities
• Sustainable Practices in Ecotourism Operations
• Wildlife Disturbance and Ecotourism: Balancing Conservation
• Ecotourism and Cultural Heritage Preservation
• Assessing the Environmental Footprint of Ecotourism
• Ecotourism and Sustainable Resource Management
• Community Involvement in Ecotourism Development
• Monitoring and Mitigating Ecotourism Impacts on Fragile Ecosystems
• Ecotourism Certification and Standards for Responsible Tourism

Top 10 Ecology Research Topics On Plant Ecology

• Plant-Animal Interactions and Mutualistic Relationships
• Impacts of Climate Change on Plant Communities
• Plant Functional Traits and Ecosystem Functioning
• Plant-Insect Interactions: Pollination and Herbivory
• Dynamics of Plant Communities in Disturbed Habitats
• Plant Defense Mechanisms Against Herbivores
• Allelopathy: Chemical Interactions among Plants
• Plant Invasions and their Ecological Consequences
• Influence of Soil Microbes on Plant Health and Diversity
• Role of Mycorrhizal Fungi in Plant Ecology

Top 10 Research Topics On Evolutionary Ecology

• Adaptation and Evolutionary Dynamics in Changing Environments
• Coevolutionary Interactions between Species
• Evolutionary Consequences of Mutualistic Relationships
• Evolutionary Ecology of Life History Strategies
• Evolutionary Responses to Anthropogenic Stressors
• Evolutionary Ecology of Invasive Species
• Historical Biogeography and Evolutionary Patterns
• Evolutionary Ecology of Plant-Animal Interactions
• Evolutionary Drivers of Biodiversity
• Evolutionary Consequences of Climate Change

Top 10 Ecology Research Topics On Freshwater Ecology

• Biodiversity and Conservation of Freshwater Ecosystems
• Aquatic Macroinvertebrates as Bioindicators of Water Quality
• Effects of Climate Change on Freshwater Ecology
• Nutrient Cycling in Freshwater Environments
• Impact of Invasive Species on Freshwater Ecosystems
• Dynamics of Aquatic Food Webs in Lakes and Rivers
• Restoration Ecology of Freshwater Habitats
• Ecological Consequences of Dams and Water Management
• Microbial Communities in Freshwater Environments
• Threats to Freshwater Ecosystems: Pollution and Habitat Loss

Top 10 Research Topics On Microbial Ecology

• Microbial Diversity in Natural Environments
• Microbial Interactions in Soil Ecosystems
• Human Microbiome and Health
• Microbial Ecology of Extreme Environments
• Microbes in Aquatic Ecosystems: Dynamics and Roles
• Microbial Communities in Plant Rhizospheres
• Microbial Biogeography and Distribution Patterns
• Impact of Climate Change on Microbial Ecology
• Microbial Responses to Pollution and Environmental Stress
• Microbial Roles in Biogeochemical Cycling

Top 10 Ecology Research Topics On Sustainable Agriculture

• Agroecological Practices for Sustainable Farming
• Soil Health Management in Sustainable Agriculture
• Water Conservation Strategies in Agricultural Systems
• Organic Farming: Impacts on Ecology and Sustainability
• Integrated Pest Management for Sustainable Agriculture
• Biodiversity Enhancement through Crop Rotation
• Agroforestry: Integrating Trees into Agricultural Landscapes
• Climate-Smart Agriculture Approaches
• Efficient Nutrient Management in Sustainable Farming
• Sustainable Livestock Farming Practices

Top 50 Ecology Essay Topics

In addition to the above topics we are giving you a bonus of top 50 ecology essay topics based on different categories and they are as:

Top 10 Essay Research Topics On Environmental Sustainability

• Climate Change Impacts and Mitigation Strategies
• Biodiversity Conservation and Ecosystem Restoration
• Sustainable Agriculture Practices
• Renewable Energy Solutions
• Waste Management and Circular Economy
• Urban Planning for Sustainable Cities
• Water Conservation and Management
• Environmental Policies and Governance
• Corporate Social Responsibility in Sustainability
• Indigenous Knowledge and Practices in Environmental Sustainability

Top 10 Essay Research Topics On Social Justice and Equity

• Racial Inequality and Systemic Racism
• Gender Equality and Women’s Rights
• LGBTQ+ Rights and Inclusivity
• Economic Disparities and Poverty
• Access to Education: Challenges and Solutions
• Criminal Justice Reform and Fair Policing
• Disability Rights and Inclusion
• Indigenous Rights and Land Sovereignty
• Immigration Policies and Human Rights
• Healthcare Disparities: Addressing Equity in Access and Treatment

Top 10 Essay Research Topics On Technology and Society

• Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence
• Digital Privacy and Security Concerns
• Impact of Social Media on Society
• The Role of Technology in Education
• Automation and the Future of Work
• Cybersecurity Challenges and Solutions
• Internet of Things (IoT) and Smart Cities
• Biotechnology and Bioethics
• Technology and Healthcare: Advancements and Concerns
• Accessibility and Inclusivity in Technological Innovations

Top 10 Essay Research Topics On Health and Wellness

• Mental Health Stigma and Awareness
• Healthcare Disparities in Underserved Communities
• Impact of Technology on Mental Health
• Lifestyle Factors and Chronic Disease Prevention
• Access to Affordable Healthcare
• Public Health Strategies for Disease Prevention
• Global Health Challenges and Solutions
• Integrative Medicine and Holistic Health Approaches
• Nutrition and its Role in Overall Wellness
• Aging Population: Health Challenges and Innovations

Top 10 Essay Research Topics On Global Economic Trends

• The Impact of Globalization on Economic Inequality
• Sustainable Development Goals and Economic Growth
• Technological Advancements and Economic Transformation
• Trade Wars and their Effects on Global Economies
• The Rise of Gig Economy and Changing Workforce Dynamics
• Financial Inclusion and Economic Empowerment
• COVID-19 Pandemic’s Impact on Global Economic Trends
• Green Finance and Environmental Sustainability in Economics
• Economic Policies for Post-Pandemic Recovery
• The Role of Emerging Markets in Shaping Global Economic Trends

As we conclude our exploration of Ecology Research Topics, we’ve uncovered a big collection of subjects into the wonders of our natural world. From studying Biodiversity Conservation to researching Microbial Ecology, these topics offer a deeper understanding of the balance of our ecosystems. 

In addition to these research topics, we’ve provided a bonus of 50 Ecology Essay Topics, adding more layers to your knowledge. Remember, Ecology is like solving nature’s puzzle, and each topic contributes to revealing its secrets. 

We’ve also touched upon the six fundamental topics in Ecology, providing a foundation for your ecological journey. So, let curiosity be your guide, and explore the mysteries that our planet holds.

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What is environmental health?

Examining a massive influence on our health: the environment..

We've been reporting on environmental health for 20 years. But what is environmental health? You've got questions, and we have answers.

Environmental health is a branch of public health that monitors the relationship between human health and the environment, examining aspects of both our natural and human-made environment and their effect on human wellbeing.

What is an example of environmental health?

Living near factories or heavy traffic worsens air quality and leads to health impacts on the lungs and heart.

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Environmental health is a broad area of study — everything from the climate to the food we eat to the air we breathe plays into environmental health. A few specific examples include:

• Air pollution: Living near factories or heavy traffic worsens air quality and leads to health impacts on the lungs and heart such as asthma and increased risk of heart attacks or stroke.
• Water contamination: Drinking lead-contaminated water can cause IQ loss, behavioral issues, learning disabilities and more. Infants and young children are most at risk.
• Toxic chemicals in consumer products: Phthalates, a class of chemicals that are widely used in consumer products, are known endocrine-disruptors, meaning they hijack your body’s hormones and can cause a wide array of health impacts including increased risk of cancer and fertility issues.

What is the role of environmental health?

The role of environmental health research is to examine areas of the environment that impact our health so that we can make personal and policy changes to keep ourselves safe and improve human health and wellbeing.

Why is environmental health important?

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Environmental health impacts every one of us.

We reap the benefits of clean air, clean water, and healthy soil. If our environment is unhealthy, with toxic chemicals saturating our resources and pollution abundant, then our health also suffers.

It is also an important field of study because it looks at the “unseen” influences on your health.

Many individuals may not associate their health problems with air or water quality, or with what clothes they wear, makeup and household goods they use, or food they eat.

That’s because not every example of environmental health problems are obvious: some chemicals, for example, build up slowly over time in your body: a small dose may not seem to bring harm, but repeated small doses can lead to later impacts.

• BPA absorbed through plastic containers, cans, receipts, etc. lingers in the body and the build-up over time increases risk of cancer, diabetes, liver failure, and more.
• PFAS are known as ‘forever chemicals ’— they don’t break down and are widely used, so small exposures are frequent and contribute to immune system and reproductive damages, heightened cholesterol levels, and more.
• Mercury from eating seafood and shellfish can impact neurological development of fetuses in the womb, and populations that regularly consume mercury-heavy seafood have shown mild cognitive impairment.

Also, individual susceptibility can differ: for example, one member of a household can experience illness, asthma, migraines, etc. from chemicals found in their water supply while another member of the same household is just fine, such as the case in a young girl’s reaction to benzene in her water from living near fracking wells.

Certain variables play a role in susceptibility and level of adverse health effects such as age, gender, pregnancy, and underlying health conditions. Studies suggest fetuses, infants and children are much more at risk to experience lifelong health problems from toxic chemical exposure.

Rate, duration, and frequency of exposure to toxic chemicals and other influences from our environment all factor into our health.

Good environmental health = good human health.

What environmental health problems affect our health?

Two women extracting from a well in Senegal.

Credit: JordiRamisa

There are many environmental health issues that affect human health. These include:

Air pollution — nine out of 10 people currently breathe air that exceeds the World Health Organization’s guideline limits for air pollution worldwide. This mainly affects people in low and middle-income countries, but in the United States, people that live in cities, or near refineries or factories, are often affected as well.

Air pollution also ramps up during wildfire season.

Read more: Breathless: Pittsburgh's asthma epidemic and the fight to stop it

Water pollution — as of 2014, every year more people die from unsafe water than from all forms of violence, including war. Water is the ‘universal solvent’, meaning it can dissolve more substances than any other liquid on Earth. Thus, it is too easy for toxic chemicals to enter our water supply.

Read more: Sacred Water: Environmental justice in Indian Country

Lack of access to health care — yes, this is an environmental health issue! Having an accessible health care system is part of one’s environment. Difficulty getting health care can further impact one’s health.

Poor infrastructure — from “food deserts” to lack of transportation services, living in an area with poor infrastructure can impact your health.

Read more: Agents of Change: Amplifying neglected voices in environmental justice

Climate change — climate change-induced heat waves, increased frequency and severity of large storms, droughts, flooding, etc. have resulted in health problems and even death.

Chemical pollution — chemical pollution can be sneaky: the chemicals in your everyday products, from shampoo to deodorant to your clothing to the food you eat, can directly affect your health. These chemicals are often not on the label or regulated at all.

Read more: Exposed: How willful blindness keeps BPA on shelves and contaminating our bodies

How can we improve our environmental health?

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Educate yourself. Environmental health is a broad topic, so this can seem overwhelming. Start by taking stock of your own personal environment. Look up air pollution monitoring in your area. Get your water tested to see its chemical makeup. Evaluate the products you use in your life — personal products like shampoo and deodorant, household cleaners, air fresheners, the foods that you eat — and see what you’re bringing into your home.

Explore the Environmental Working Group's guides to check your products for toxic chemicals.

We have additional guides to help you learn more about environmental health. Find guides to plastic pollution , environmental justice , glyphosate , BPA , PFAS and more in the Resources tab at the top of our website.

As individuals we have the power to improve some of our environmental health, but there is a pressing need for systemic change and regulation on a policy level.

We’re actively working with scientists to share their research and knowledge with politicians to advocate for science-backed policy change. But we need your help. Contact your representatives to let them know that environmental health is important to you — whether it’s air pollution in your area, contaminated water, plastic pollution, food deserts in your area, or chemicals in consumer products.

Subscribe to Above the Fold , our daily newsletter keeping you up-to-date on environmental health news.

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Environment and Health includes research articles dealing with innovative investigations and modern approaches on environmental pollution and its potential interference with ecosystems and human health. The Research Topic is primarily focused on the study of interactions, pathways and transfer of pollutants ...

Keywords : Environment, Human Health Safety, Ecosystem Health, Pollution

Important Note : All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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• 1 MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Quality and Health, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China; School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China.
• 2 Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, China.
• 3 MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Quality and Health, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China; School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Source Apportionment and Control of Aquatic Pollution, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
• 4 MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Quality and Health, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China; School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Source Apportionment and Control of Aquatic Pollution, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
• PMID: 39241334
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108989

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) persistence and potential harm have become more widely recognized in the environment due to its fast-paced research. However, the bibliometric review on the detection, research hotspot, and development trend of environmental ARGs has not been widely conducted. It is essential to provide a comprehensive overview of the last 30 years of research on environmental ARGs to clarify the changes in the research landscape and ascertain future prospects. This study presents a visualized analysis of data from the Web of Science to enhance our understanding of ARGs. The findings indicate that solid-phase extraction provides a reliable method for extracting ARG. Technological advancements in commercial kits and microfluidics have facilitated the efficacy of ARGs extraction with significantly reducing processing times. PCR and its derivatives, DNA sequencing, and multi-omics technology are the prevalent methodologies for ARGs detection, enabling the expansion of ARG research from individual strains to more intricate microbial communities in the environment. Furthermore, due to the development of combination, hybridization and mass spectrometer technologies, considerable advancements have been achieved in terms of sensitivity and accuracy as well as lowering the cost of ARGs detection. Currently, high-frequency terms such as "Antibiotic Resistance, Antibiotics, and Metagenomics" are the center of attention for study in this area. Prominent topics include the investigation of anthropogenic impacts on environmental resistance, as well as the dynamics of migration, dissemination, and adaptation of environmental ARGs, etc. The research on environmental ARGs has made significant advancements in the fields of "Microbiology" and "Biotechnology Applied Microbiology". Over the past decade, there has been a notable increase in the fields of "Environmental Sciences Ecology" and "Engineering" with a similar growth trend observed in "Water Resources". These three domains are expected to continue driving extensive study within the realm of environmental ARGs.

Keywords: Detection technology; Future perspectives; Research priorities; Research status; Visualized analysis.

Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

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Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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As election approaches, national poll shows which health topics concern older adults most

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Takeaways from AP's report on how Duck Valley Indian Reservation's water and soil is contaminated

The Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation have long grappled with contaminants in the soil and water

OWYHEE, Nev. -- The Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation have long grappled with contaminants embedded in the land and water.

For decades, the tribes suspected that widespread illness and deaths from cancer are tied to two buildings owned and operated by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs. Fuel, herbicides and other chemicals spilled onto the dirt floors of the now-shuttered or demolished structures.

Earlier this year, the BIA discovered a decades-old document with a passing mention of Agent Orange that suggests the government might have been more involved in contaminating the land than previously known, this time around the irrigation canals. The community is still waiting to get answers.

Owyhee is the sole town on the reservation where snow-capped mountains loom over a valley of scattered homes and ranches, nearly 100 miles (161 kilometers) from any stoplights. Bookended by deep Nevada canyons and flat Idaho plains, the valley is home to “Sho-Pais,” whose ancestors were confined there by the federal government.

For generations, the legacy and livelihood of residents have centered around raising cattle year-round. Many of the 1,800 or so residents still use the same medicinal plans and practice the same ceremonies as their relatives buried under them.

Representatives from the BIA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency visited the reservation as recently as Aug. 7 to talk about the contamination and review the report that mentioned Agent Orange. Action can't come soon enough for tribal members who say the federal government's past cleanup attempts have lacked urgency and direction.

“People are dying. And I don’t know what they’re waiting for,” said tribal Chairman Brian Mason.

Historically, most of the environmental dangers at Owyhee have been traced to two BIA buildings that have since closed or been demolished.

Back in 1985, at the now-abandoned irrigation shop, some 8,000 gallons of heating oil leaked from a pipeline next to a two-lane highway that acts as the area's main road. Samples taken from sump, soil and floor drains around the building revealed a mix of the hazardous chemicals that were stored inside, including waste oil, arsenic, copper, lead and cadmium, along with the two herbicides that make up Agent Orange.

Racheal Thacker, a pesticides and solid waste technician with the tribes, said residents at the time were likely unaware of the dangers related to handling the chemicals stored there. Back then, she said, the workers employed by the BIA didn’t have the expertise or resources to identify pollutants in the ground.

In 1995, the EPA ordered the BIA to stop discharging gasoline, batteries and other fluids onto the dirt floor of the maintenance building, saying the practice was improper, threatened the groundwater supply and could endanger tribal members’ health. The disposal practice had long-lasting effects. The building has since been demolished and is fenced off.

In its statement to the AP, the BIA said it has extensively studied the soil and groundwater on the reservation since 1999 and cleaned up wells used for drinking water. The agency also said any petroleum in the soil is safe and it’s working with the tribe on other remedial actions.

To the community, there's a clear link between past contaminants and the pronounced number of cancer cases and other illnesses.

Mason validated those beliefs in an announcement earlier this year. He stood at a podium and declared — without caveats — that the BIA further poisoned the tribes' land. Agent Orange chemicals were sprayed extensively by the canals, he said, and demanded the government take quick action.

Health experts say it’s nearly impossible to say with certainty that the environment factored into cancer diagnoses and deaths — especially without robust data.

The tribal health clinic has logged more than 500 illnesses since 1992 that could be cancer, and is trying to break down the reservation's data to determine what were the most common types. A switch in recent years from paper to electronic filing means the records are likely incomplete.

Even if the BIA is able to account for the time, frequency, concentration and volume of herbicides sprayed on the reservation, that wouldn’t be enough to prove a cause, experts say. Genetics, lifestyle and other factors often combine to form a diagnosis.

“Bottom line is it’s really, really complicated even to establish among things we already sort of know about,” said Lauren Teras, the senior scientific director of epidemiology research at the American Cancer Society.

Mason has called for a study that would give tribal members a better idea of the extent that chemicals could have been sprayed, and the effect on the tribes’ land and its residents. He said that might provide tribal members a pathway to seek payment from the federal government.

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Roche advances ai-driven cancer diagnostics by expanding its digital pathology open environment.

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• The Roche Digital Pathology Open Environment brings together a wide array of innovative AI-based pathology tools to help clinicians improve patient care and expand personalised healthcare.
• Roche is now integrating more than 20 artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms from eight new collaborators into its digital pathology open environment. 
• AI technology helps enhance pathology with high value insights, which can benefit cancer patients through precision medicine leading to targeted treatment. 

Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced today the expansion of its digital pathology open environment with the integration of more than 20 advanced artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms from eight new collaborators. These strategic collaborations aim to support pathologists and scientists in cancer research and diagnosis by leveraging cutting-edge AI technology.

The seamless integration is facilitated through Roche’s navify® Digital Pathology enterprise software, an application for the pathologist’s workflow, which now incorporates a diverse range of AI-driven algorithms, creating easy access to third-party innovation. These AI tools are designed to enhance pathology insights, helping benefit cancer patients through precision medicine and enabling targeted treatments.

"We are excited to welcome these new collaborators into our digital pathology ecosystem," said Jill German, Head of Pathology Lab for Roche Diagnostics. "By combining our leadership in tissue diagnostics with a broad offering of state-of-the-art AI technology, we aim to revolutionise cancer research, diagnostics and treatment, ultimately helping clinicians improve the lives of patients worldwide.”

The collaborators are:

• Deep Bio: Algorithm for prostate cancer detection, grading, and tumour quantification
• DiaDeep: Algorithms for breast cancer biomarker quantification
• Lunit: Tumour proportion score (TPS) analysis for non-small cell lung cancer
• Mindpeak: Algorithms for breast biomarkers and pan tumour PD-L1 for lung, gastric, esophageal, bladder and breast cancers
• Owkin: Algorithm for the screening of microsatellite stability in colorectal cancer
• Qritive: Algorithms for screening and grading of prostate cancer, analysing lymph nodes for metastasis, and screening for colon cancer
• Sonrai Analytics: Algorithm for determining microsatellite instability (MSI) status in colorectal cancer
• Stratipath: Algorithm for risk profiling of invasive breast cancer

With these new collaborations and integrations, Roche emphasises its commitment to improving patient outcomes and advancing personalised healthcare by providing scientists and clinicians with the resources they need to deliver precise and effective cancer diagnoses.

As the leading provider of pathology lab solutions, Roche delivers an end-to-end digital pathology solution from tissue staining to producing high-quality digital images that can be reliably assessed using automated AI-based clinical image analysis algorithms. Roche minimises variables that can impact analysis, and it is this end-to-end development that produces the quality results healthcare providers and researchers can depend on. With the acceleration of immunotherapy and the development of more complex assays, Roche is moving these traditionally research-oriented AI tools into routine clinical practice and is committed to investing in and shaping the future of pathology. The Roche Digital Pathology Open Environment* serves as a collaborative platform that brings together innovative AI-based pathology tools.

Founded in 1896 in Basel, Switzerland, as one of the first industrial manufacturers of branded medicines, Roche has grown into the world’s largest biotechnology company and the global leader in in-vitro diagnostics. The company pursues scientific excellence to discover and develop medicines and diagnostics for improving and saving the lives of people around the world. We are a pioneer in personalised healthcare and want to further transform how healthcare is delivered to have an even greater impact. To provide the best care for each person we partner with many stakeholders and combine our strengths in Diagnostics and Pharma with data insights from the clinical practice.

In recognising our endeavour to pursue a long-term perspective in all we do, Roche has been named one of the most sustainable companies in the pharmaceuticals industry by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for the fifteenth consecutive year. This distinction also reflects our efforts to improve access to healthcare together with local partners in every country we work.

Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan.

For more information, please visit www.roche.com .

All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by law.

* Some algorithms are Research Use Only and not for use in diagnostic procedures. Please consult with local markets on the regulatory status of these algorithms.

Jo Lynn Garing, +1 317-363-7286 or [email protected]

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