Abstract

Overview of the Study

The urgent growth in environmental health knowledge emphasizes increasingly clear evidence that links various environmental factors to human health consequences.

Study Aims

The primary objective of this review was to synthesize epidemiological data from numerous meta-analyses on environmental risk factors, providing a comprehensive overview through an umbrella review method.

Methodology

• An extensive review was conducted, focusing on meta-analyses of cohort, case-control, case-crossover, and time-series studies.
• These studies examined links between environmental risks and health effects such as disease incidence, prevalence, and mortality.
• Specifically, the review excluded studies on occupational exposures, microorganisms, and non-natural environmental factors to focus on elements like air pollution and chemical exposure.

Key Findings

This review identified the following significant points:

• 197 associations between 69 environmental exposures and 83 diseases.
• Major findings centered on air pollution, with strong associative evidence linking it to numerous health conditions.
• Environmental tobacco smoke and chemicals were also frequently associated with adverse health outcomes.
• Special attention was drawn to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields as serious concerns due to their associations with critical illnesses like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and childhood leukemia.

Conclusion

Environmental factors significantly shape health outcomes. This study highlights critical areas of currently available research and emphasizes the need for public health policies incorporating these findings to safeguard and improve community health standards, especially considering EMF safety.