UN researchers highlight the need to develop better ways to measure the impacts of climate change on children's health. They suggest more attention be given to impact analysis of different social groups and ages, as well as nutrition.

Health experts have called for a proactive, joined-up approach to public health in Europe under a changing climate. A recent study has examined the evidence for the influence of the climate on infectious disease and proposes a new integrated network for environmental and health data.

Children are thought to be at greater risk from exposure to environmental pollutants than adults because their bodies are still developing and their lower body weight means that relative exposure is higher. A new study reports background exposure levels in German children aged 3-14.

Monitoring the effects of chemicals in the human body provides useful data for assessing and managing environmental risks to health, but it also raises ethical questions about how the results of such studies should be reported to participants. New research suggests that changes are needed to the research process to allow study participants to play a greater role in interpreting, disseminating and using the results.

The Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GA2LEN), established in 2005 to facilitate excellence in allergy research across clinical and research institutions in Europe, has recently published a report on its major achievements.

A recent study has investigated how exposure to a variety of environmental pollutants, including heavy metals and chlorinated compounds, affects the height and body mass index (BMI) of local communities. It found that some pollutants could be causing reduced height and BMI, which can be explained in part by the pollutants??? disrupting effects on the hormonal system.

Scientists involved in a pan-European project to develop better methods of risk assessment say maps that show such cumulative risks geographically are easy to interpret and should be considered as practical tools for conveying risk information to decision makers and the general public.

Contrary to some established views, the local animal population is unlikely to be the major source of resistance diversity for Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 in humans in Scotland, according to a study. The researchers suggest that a broader approach to fighting antibiotic resistance is needed, which goes beyond focusing solely on curbing the use of antibiotics in domestic animal populations.

The health risks to humans of using recycled water to irrigate crops needs to be carefully managed. New research has demonstrated that ???managed aquifer recharge??? can be just as effective as conventional water treatments in improving the quality of recycled water for use in irrigation.

Pollen allergy is a common cause of allergic respiratory diseases such as hay fever and asthma. A recent continent-wide study suggests that rising carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions over the last 30 years may be increasing pollen counts especially in European cities, which could have serious consequences for public health.

A target level of 20 micrograms of phosphorus per litre of lake water could help keep many lakes safe for recreation by restricting the growth of harmful algal blooms, European research suggests. The scientists analysed the relationship between phosphorus levels in medium- and high-alkalinity lakes, the growth of cyanobacteria blooms and the concentrations of cyanobacteria that trigger World Health Organization (WHO) warnings.

The worldwide decline of pollinators could increase cases of vitamin and micronutrient deficiencies in humans, new research suggests. For instance, pollination is needed for the crops that produce half of all plant-derived vitamin A across much of south-east Asia. Furthermore, areas which depend most on pollination for micronutrient supply tend to be poorer and already at higher risk of deficiencies.

The increasing man-made impacts and effects of climate change are making our coastlines more vulnerable to coastal risks including erosion and flooding. These impacts are far-reaching and are already changing the lives and livelihoods of coastal communities. In addition, they could further threaten valuable ecosystems and damage industries, such as fishing, tourism and shipping. This thematic issue reports on recent research to help guide successful coastal management.

Continued reductions in air pollution and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are essential, as they pose serious threats to both people's health and the environment across the world. Air quality and climate policies can provide mutual benefits and there can also be trade-offs. This thematic issue reports on research which helps us understand the relationship between air pollution and climate change and how the two policy areas can be integrated to produce the greatest results.

To meet demand, more and more water is being abstracted from the land and transported long distances. This thematic issue addresses the most pressing policy issues within this field as Europe looks for an effective strategy to deal with water supply and consumption.

Published to mark the 20th anniversary of the Habitats Directive, this latest Thematic issue examines the challenges and successes in managing and restoring biodiversity in the Natura 2000 network.

Brownfield regeneration and land use planning are complex issues which encompass many different environmental, economic and social dimensions. This Thematic Issue brings together quality research into brownfield regeneration, which highlights insights and successful strategies from across Europe and beyond.

During the last century, large areas of the seafloor have been damaged by human activities such as fishing, sand and gravel extraction and navigational dredging. This Thematic Issue presents quality research exploring the physical damage to the seafloor, new methods for providing seabed information and pressures on marine ecosystems from activities such as deep-sea mining.

Linking land and the sea, coastal zones are unique areas, highly diverse in species, habitats and ecosystems and very important to human activities. But there is a mounting stress on these valuable ecosystems from economic, social and environmental pressures. This Thematic Issue presents key pieces of research that demonstrate tools and experiences for achieving more sustainable coastal ecosystems, and highlights that policy action must continue to strive for significantly improved management.

Nanomaterials – at a scale of one thousand times smaller than a millimetre – offer the promise of radical technological development. Many of these will improve our quality of life, and develop our economies, but all will be measured against the overarching principle that we do not make some error, and harm ourselves and our environment by exposure to new forms of hazard. This Thematic Issue explores recent developments in nanomaterials research, and possibilities for safe, practical and resource-efficient applications.

How environmental agencies can best engage with, and reap the benefits of, Environmental Enforcement Networks (EENs) has been identified in new research. The study used questionnaires and interviews with senior figures from eight environment agencies, spanning seven countries, to identify the key themes of, and ways of improving engagement with, EENs, to extract the maximum benefits. The input was then used to perform a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis of engaging with EENs, from which options for improved engagement could be developed.

New research has identified 25 variables that influence noise in urban areas. By combining these into an equation, the study produced an accurate tool to describe urban sound environments that could be useful in urban planning.

Nearly 85% of residents in central Dublin, Ireland, could be exposed to damaging levels of night-time traffic noise, according to a recent study. The researchers explain how they assessed population exposure to noise and calculate the impacts of several noise reduction measures, providing information that could help EU Member States meet the Environmental Noise Directive’s requirements.

A recent report has reviewed research on the effectiveness of low-noise road surfaces, taking into account acoustic performance, safety, skidding resistance and cost. It concludes they could have substantial acoustic and financial benefits, but their durability and safety must be taken into account.

New research in Spain has explored solutions to reducing traffic noise, and suggests that the best option is to combine global measures, such as speed restrictions, and local measures, such as noise screens.

Major roads, railways, airports and industrial areas can be a major source of noise nuisance for local communities. To help city planners and architects determine the most appropriate sound insulation design for the exterior of buildings, Turkish researchers have developed a new method that transforms noise maps into insulation maps.

It is difficult to compare estimates of noise exposure across EU Member States because the methods used to produce the data vary between countries. A new study has investigated five methods of estimating noise exposure and identified some of the reasons for variation in the data they produce.

Researchers in Greece have added a new dimension to noise level mapping by including data on residents’ perception and value of different sounds. This consideration of the experiences of residents in this way could lead to more effective policy implementation.

Digital noise maps developed under the EU’s Environmental Noise Directive (END) are a useful way of assessing traffic noise exposure for local residents, according to a recent Swedish study. The END maps could also be used to standardise noise exposure information in noise and health research.

Exposure to aircraft noise at night for more than 20 years could increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, according to research conducted around six European airports. Risk also increased for those constantly exposed to road traffic, but this may have been caused by air pollution rather than noise.

Physical inactivity raises the risk of ill health, so environmental factors that reduce the level of physical activity in people should be of concern to policymakers as well as to individuals. A new study has associated long-term annoyance with transportation noise with reduced physical activity in Swiss residents, which may indirectly contribute to diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.

A recent survey of businesses in France, Germany and the UK has revealed that they recycle and refurbish much of their waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). However, some of this information is not being reported under the EU’s WEEE Directive because the waste is being disposed of informally or by contractors, rather than by manufacturers who are responsible for the whole life cycle of the products.

Companies that adopt the environmental management system ISO 14000, designed to help reduce businesses’ environmental impacts, generally back this up with sincere investment in environmentally-friendly practices, research suggests. Researchers found that adoption of the ISO 14000 was not ‘greenwash’, but reflected a move towards more sustainable practices in both European and North American companies.

The pressures facing Indian manufacturers to ‘green’ their supply chain have been explored by a recent study. Both international and national pressures from government and consumers were found to play an important role in whether a company adopts green supply chain management principles, with pressures varying to some degree depending on the business’s sector and size.

Standards for environmental management, such as EMAS and ISO 14001, aim to help organisations become more sustainable, but they have received little evaluation. A new Italian study is the first to quantitatively compare the impacts of these two standards. Its results suggest that EMAS's stipulation that organisations must report their ongoing performance may bring sustained environmental benefits in the longer term.

The lifetime environmental impacts of non-electrical consumer products, such as clothes, could be cut by over 40% if consumers maintained them in a more environmentally friendly manner, new research suggests. The study found the impacts of eco-designed products fell significantly when user guidelines were included in the eco-design.