Physical Environment

Physical Environment

Overview

The Physical Environment domain studies the natural and human-built features that impact people’s lives, health, and well-being. For instance, air and noise pollution pose risks, while other physical environment features like greenspace and infrastructure are beneficial to health. Research in this domain aims to develop exposome data that characterize these risk and resilience factors and better explain their relevance to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (AD/ADRD).

The Physical Environment domain’s initial efforts will focus on air quality, green spaces, and neighborhood characteristics.

Click here to read the team's recent perspective in Alzheimer's & Dementia , which identifies key research gaps and priorities for incorporating physical environment measures into ADRD research.

Air Pollution Air Pollution

Air pollution is composed of multiple gases and particles of distinct chemical composition, depending upon the source of the pollution. Pollution has many effects on the body, and some types of particles are increasingly being linked with neurodegenerative diseases. Continued progress in controlling emissions – particularly those related to sources contributing most to exposure and having the greatest impact on brain health – can help reduce the development and progression of AD/ADRD.

Green Spaces Green Spaces

Green space refers to natural environments within urban or rural settings, like parks, community gardens, and forests. The influence of green space on brain health is multi-faceted but generally positive. In urban environments, for example, green spaces can reduce exposure to air and noise pollution. Safe, accessible green spaces can also promote physical activity and social interaction, while spending time in and even near larger, biodiverse natural spaces benefits mental health. The Physical Environment domain is also interested in studying how the quality of green spaces can meet basic needs to maximize its potential benefits.

Neighborhood Characteristics Neighborhood Characteristics

Neighborhood characteristics such as employment, education, recreation, healthcare, nutritious food, and culture help meet daily needs, which can lead to healthier lifestyle choices. Therefore, planning or zoning the physical layout of cities and neighborhoods is a crucial to promoting well-being. Bike and walking paths, shaded, safe and attractive routes, benches to rest and rewarding des- tinations can encourage less motor vehicle use for all ages. It can be challenging for all needs to be accessible within a short com- mute, but more offerings translate into more opportunities to make healthier choices part of daily living. Measuring these neigh- borhood features to explore what works best for sustaining wellness in aging may result in reduction of AD/ADRD outcomes.

Noise and Soundscapes Noise and Soundscapes

Noise can refer to both harmful (e.g., traffic) and helpful (e.g., birdsong) sounds, and it has been shown to affect brain health. Measuring noise and sound levels to reflect stress pathways, the potential for sleep disturbance, and as a restorative agent, can help researchers better understand its role in the risk or resilience of AD/ADRD.

Community Insights

In the fall of 2024, the GECC hosted a series of town hall meetings with hundreds of unique participants. These meetings yielded critical insights for the Physical Environment domain, including highlighting key themes and gaps in research.

It was also apparent in the town halls that the Physical Environment domain connects directly and indirectly with many other domains’ interests.

Key Themes

  • Air and noise pollution
  • Access of physical activity spaces
  • Access to basic needs
  • Neighborhood characteristics across urban-rural areas

Gaps in Research

  • Air pollution types, mixtures and sources
  • Capturing patterns in noise exposure
  • Identifying indicators of healthy neighborhoods
  • Greenspace quality
  • Geospatial patterns in exposures to chemical toxins
Priorities

To address these priorities and facilitate a better understanding of the relationship between the exposome and AD/ADRD outcomes, the Policy Environment domain will leverage existing measures as well as develop novel measures.

Short-Term Priorities

  • Write an overview article of the gaps and priorities in the Physical environment exposome domain, specifically those relating to air pollution, wildfire smoke, noise, and greenness.
  • Develop a white paper reviewing air pollution data sources and metrics, with guidance on selecting appropriate measures based on defined evaluation criteria.
  • Produce a white paper assessing available greenness indicators and datasets, including recommendations for context-specific use.
  • Create a white paper summarizing noise-related data and measures, and outlining criteria for determining their suitability across different applications.
  • Prepare and document, with guidance on usage, multiyear U.S. and North American air pollution exposure surfaces characterizing PM2.5 and common pollutant mixtures for linkage in regional to continental scale studies.
  • Prepare and document, with guidance on usage, multiyear U.S. and North American greenness exposure products based upon NVDI for linkage in local to continental scale studies.

Long-Term Priorities

  • Create refined metrics on greenspace exposures that enable future studies into the pathways through which greenness has beneficial effects on AD/ADRD outcomes.
  • Evaluate multiple metrics related to potential differences in noise effects, both harmful and beneficial, that advance the idea of soundscapes.
  • Develop guidance on application of the available air pollution indicators, such as nitrogen dioxide and ultrafine particles, that characterize local scale exposure effects on AD/ADRD outcomes.
  • Assess hybrid approaches that combine physical access to urban infrastructure (i.e., health-beneficial resources and facilities) with target population behavior to predict individual usage patterns appropriate for epidemiological research.
Team

Jeffrey Brook

University of Toronto

Domain Co-Lead

Michael Brauer

University of British Columbia

Domain Co-Lead

Dany Doiron

University of Montreal

Domain Expert

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Contact us at contact@gatewayexposome.org

The GECC is funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) U24AG088894.