Welcome to Francis Academic Press

Academic Journal of Environment & Earth Science, 2025, 7(2); doi: 10.25236/AJEE.2025.070202.

Impact of Heatwave Events on Ozone Pollution and Its Health Effects in Southern Canada

Author(s)

Kai Zhang, Guofeng Dang

Corresponding Author:
Guofeng Dang
Affiliation(s)

School of Geographical and Environmental Sciences, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China

Abstract

In order to study the impact of heat waves on ozone in southern Canada, this paper analyzes the ground-level and tropospheric ozone pollution in the heat wave impact and non-impact periods in this region, and uses multivariate data and BenMAP-CE software to compare the correlation between ground-level ozone and temperature, ozone and relative humidity, and their impacts on human health during the impact and non-impact periods of the heat wave in the southern region of Canada. The study shows that: (1) the overall spatial distribution patterns of tropospheric ozone and ground-level ozone concentrations in southern Canada are high in the southeast and low in the northwest, and the ozone concentrations are significantly higher during the heatwave-affected period than during the non-heatwave-affected period. (2) Temperature-ozone correlations were mainly uncorrelated in the eastern and western parts of the study region during non-heatwave-affected periods. The occurrence of summer heat waves enhanced the positive temperature-ozone correlation in most areas. (3) The negative correlation between relative humidity and ozone in the study area during the heatwave-affected period accounted for a smaller percentage of the area than in the non-affected period. The presence of heat waves weakened the negative correlation between relative humidity and ozone. (4) The occurrence of heat waves in the study area led to an increase in the number of deaths due to ozone exposure, with growth rates ranging from 22.6% to 23.2%, and there were significant gender and geographic differences in the number of deaths due to ozone exposure. It was concluded that ozone pollution in the region is closely related to the occurrence of heat waves, and that the strengthening of integrated research on air pollution and climate change will be a major task for the future. 

Keywords

Heatwave, Temperature, Ozone, Ozone health effects, Southern Canada

Cite This Paper

Kai Zhang, Guofeng Dang. Impact of Heatwave Events on Ozone Pollution and Its Health Effects in Southern Canada. Academic Journal of Environment & Earth Science(2025), Vol. 7, Issue 2: 7-20. https://doi.org/10.25236/AJEE.2025.070202.

References

[1] Atkinson R. Atmospheric chemistry of VOCs and NOx[J]. Atmospheric environment, 2000, 34(12-14): 2063-2101.

[2] Lacis A A, Wuebbles D J, Logan J A. Radiative forcing of climate by changes in the vertical distribution of ozone[J]. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 1990, 95(D7): 9971-9981.

[3] Qin L, Gu J, Liang S, et al. Seasonal association between ambient ozone and mortality in Zhengzhou, China[J]. International journal of biometeorology, 2017, 61: 1003-1010.

[4] Huang J, Zhou C, Lee X, et al. The effects of rapid urbanization on the levels in tropospheric nitrogen dioxide and ozone over East China[J]. Atmospheric environment, 2013, 77: 558-567.

[5] Huryn S M, Gough W A. Impact of urbanization on the ozone weekday/weekend effect in Southern Ontario, Canada[J]. Urban Climate, 2014, 8: 11-20.

[6] Cohen A J, Brauer M, Burnett R, et al. Estimates and 25-year trends of the global burden of disease attributable to ambient air pollution: an analysis of data from the Global Burden of Diseases Study 2015[J]. The lancet, 2017, 389(10082): 1907-1918.

[7] Brauer M, Freedman G, Frostad J, et al. Ambient air pollution exposure estimation for the global burden of disease 2013[J]. Environmental science & technology, 2016, 50(1): 79-88.

[8] Public Health Agency of Canada.(2021).Health Impacts of Air Pollution in Canada: Estimates of morbidity and premature mortality outcomes – 2021 Report.Retrieved fromhttps://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/healthy-living/health-impacts-air-pollution-2021.html#a3.1. Accessed September 13, 2024

[9] Shin H H, Gogna P, Maquiling A, et al. Comparison of hospitalization and mortality associated with short-term exposure to ambient ozone and PM2. 5 in Canada[J]. Chemosphere, 2021, 265: 128683.30

[10] Environment and Climate Change Canada .(2013). National Air Pollution Surveillance Program: NAPS Program Information.Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/search.html?q=NAPS&wb-srch-sub=#wb-land. Accessed September 13, 2024

[11] Cakmak S, Hebbern C, Pinault L, et al. Associations between long-term PM2. 5 and ozone exposure and mortality in the Canadian Census Health and Environment Cohort (CANCHEC), by spatial synoptic classification zone[J]. Environment international, 2018, 111: 200-211.

[12] Villeneuve P J, Huynh D, Lavigne É, et al. Daily changes in ambient air pollution concentrations and temperature and suicide mortality in Canada: findings from a national time-stratified case-crossover study[J]. Environmental research, 2023, 223: 115477.

[13] Shin H H, Parajuli R P, Maquiling A, et al. Temporal trends in associations between ozone and circulatory mortality in age and sex in Canada during 1984–2012[J]. Science of the Total Environment, 2020, 724: 137944.

[14] Zhao N, Pinault L, Toyib O, et al. Long-term ozone exposure and mortality from neurological diseases in Canada[J]. Environment international, 2021, 157: 106817.

[15] Parajuli R P, Shin H H, Maquiling A, et al. Multi-pollutant urban study on acute respiratory hospitalization and mortality attributable to ambient air pollution in Canada for 2001–2012[J]. Atmospheric Pollution Research, 2021, 12(12): 101234.

[16] Kegel F, Luo O D, Richer S. The impact of extreme heat events on emergency departments in Canadian hospitals[J]. Wilderness & environmental medicine, 2021, 32(4): 433-440.

[17] Environment and Climate Change Canada .(2021).Canada’s top 10 weather stories of 2021. Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/top-ten-weather-stories/2021.html. Accessed September 13, 20247

[18] Meehl G A, Tebaldi C, Tilmes S, et al. Future heat waves and surface ozone[J]. Environmental Research Letters, 2018, 13(6): 064004.

[19] Jaén C, Udina M, Bech J. Analysis of two heat wave driven ozone episodes in Barcelona and surrounding region: Meteorological and photochemical modeling[J]. Atmospheric Environment, 2021, 246: 118037.

[20] Wang R, Bei N, Hu B, et al. The relationship between the intensified heat waves and deteriorated summertime ozone pollution in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region, China, during 2013–2017[J]. Environmental Pollution, 2022, 314: 120256.

[21] Yang X, Zeng G, Iyakaremye V, et al. Effects of different types of heat wave days on ozone pollution over Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and its future projection[J]. Science of The Total Environment, 2022, 837: 155762.

[22] Pascal M, Wagner V, Alari A, et al. Extreme heat and acute air pollution episodes: A need for joint public health warnings?[J]. Atmospheric environment, 2021, 249: 118249.

[23] Egea A, Linares C, Díaz J, et al. How heat waves, ozone and sunlight hours affect endocrine and metabolic diseases emergency admissions? A case study in the region of Madrid (Spain)[J]. Environmental Research, 2023, 229: 116022.

[24] López-Bueno J A, Díaz J, Padrón-Monedero A, et al. Short-term impact of extreme temperatures, relative humidity and air pollution on emergency hospital admissions due to kidney disease and kidney-related conditions in the Greater Madrid area (Spain)[J]. Science of The Total Environment, 2023, 903: 166646.

[25] Hong H, Lee H, Kim J, et al. First comparison of OMI‐DOAS total ozone using ground‐based observations at a megacity site in East Asia: Causes of discrepancy and improvement in OMI‐DOAS total ozone during summer[J]. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 2014, 119(16): 10058-10067.

[26] Environment Canada.(2011).Adapting to Extreme Heat Events: Guidelines for Assessing Health Vulnerability. Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/environmental-workplace-health/reports-publications/climate-change-health/adapting-extreme-heat-events-guidelines-assessing-health-vulnerability-health-canada-2011.html#fn7.Accessed September 13, 2024

[27] Environment and Climate Change Canada .(2019).Canada’s top 10 weather stories of 2019.Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/top-ten-weather-stories/2019.html. Accessed September 13, 2024

[28] Peng S, Ju T, Liang Z, et al. Analysis of atmospheric ozone in Fenwei Plain based on remote sensing monitoring[J]. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2022, 194(6): 412.

[29] US EPA.(2023). BenMAP-CE Manual and Appendices.Retrieved from  http: / /www2. epa. gov /benmap /manual-and-appendices-benmap-ce.Accessed September 13, 2024

[30] Ju T, Liang Z, Liu W, et al. Monitoring of air pollution by remote sensing in Lanzhou City from 2010 to 2019[J]. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 2022, 233(9): 359.

[31] Yap D, Ning D T, Dong W. An assessment of source contributions to the ozone concentrations in southern Ontario, 1979–1985[J]. Atmospheric Environment (1967), 1988, 22(6): 1161-1168.

[32] Leung K H Y. Projecting the Influence of Climate Change on Extreme Ground-level Ozone Events in Selected Ontario Cities[M]. University of Toronto (Canada), 2015.

[33] Liao Z, Pan Y, Ma P, et al. Meteorological and chemical controls on surface ozone diurnal variability in Beijing: A clustering-based perspective[J]. Atmospheric Environment, 2023, 295: 119566.

[34] Pu X, Wang T J, Huang X, et al. Enhanced surface ozone during the heat wave of 2013 in Yangtze River Delta region, China[J]. Science of the Total Environment, 2017, 603: 807-816.

[35] Kalisa E, Fadlallah S, Amani M, et al. Temperature and air pollution relationship during heatwaves in Birmingham, UK[J]. Sustainable cities and society, 2018, 43: 111-120.

[36] Varotsos K V, Giannakopoulos C, Tombrou M. Ozone-temperature relationship during the 2003 and 2014 heatwaves in Europe[J]. Regional Environmental Change, 2019, 19: 1653-1665.

[37] Steiner A L, Davis A J, Sillman S, et al. Observed suppression of ozone formation at extremely high temperatures due to chemical and biophysical feedbacks[J]. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2010, 107(46): 19685-19690.

[38] Fischer P H, Brunekreef B, Lebret E. Air pollution related deaths during the 2003 heat wave in the Netherlands[J]. Atmospheric environment, 2004, 38(8): 1083-1085.