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      Methods for Estimating Wet Bulb Globe Temperature From Remote and Low‐Cost Data: A Comparative Study in Central Alabama

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          Abstract

          Heat stress is a significant health concern that can lead to illness, injury, and mortality. The wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) index is one method for monitoring environmental heat risk. Generally, WBGT is estimated using a heat stress monitor that includes sensors capable of measuring ambient, wet bulb, and black globe temperature, and these measurements are combined to calculate WBGT. However, this method can be expensive, time consuming, and requires careful attention to ensure accurate and repeatable data. Therefore, researchers have attempted to use standard meteorological measurements, using single data sources as an input (e.g., weather stations) to calculate WBGT. Building on these efforts, we apply data from a variety of sources to calculate WBGT, understand the accuracy of our estimated equation, and compare the performance of different sources of input data. To do this, WBGT measurements were collected from Kestrel 5400 Heat Stress Trackers installed in three locations in Alabama. Data were also drawn from local weather stations, North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS), and low cost iButton hygrometers. We applied previously published equations for estimating natural wet bulb temperature, globe temperature, and WBGT to these diverse data sources. Correlation results showed that WBGT estimates derived from all proxy data sources—weather station, weather station/iButton, NLDAS, NLDAS/iButton—were statistically indistinguishable from each other, or from the Kestrel measurements, at two of the three sites. However, at the same two sites, the addition of iButtons significantly reduced root mean square error and bias compared to other methods.

          Key Points

          • A variety of proxy methods offered reasonable estimates of wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) in downtown and suburban Birmingham, AL

          • Estimating WBGT from easily accessible measurements could be a powerful tool for studies and interventions related to heat stress

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          Most cited references12

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          Continental-scale water and energy flux analysis and validation for the North American Land Data Assimilation System project phase 2 (NLDAS-2): 1. Intercomparison and application of model products

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            Wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT)--its history and its limitations.

            G Budd (2007)
            Wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) is nowadays the most widely used index of heat stress, yet many users appear to be unaware of its history and its limitations. HISTORY OF WBGT: WBGT was invented and first used during the 1950s as one element in a successful campaign to control serious outbreaks of heat illness in training camps of the United States Army and Marine Corps. Control measures based on air temperature and humidity, and applied to all trainees alike, had proved effective but had entailed excessive compliance costs in the form of lost training time. New control measures introduced in 1956 further reduced heat illness and also lost fewer training hours. Crucial innovations were (1) replacing the temperature and humidity measurements with WBGT, which additionally responds to sun and wind, (2) using epidemiologic analyses of casualty records to identify hazardous levels of WBGT and vulnerable trainees, and (3) protecting the most vulnerable trainees by suspending drill at lower levels of WBGT, and by improving their heat tolerance in special conditioning platoons. This campaign has considerable relevance to the prevention of heat illness in sport. LIMITATIONS OF WBGT: WBGT's most serious limitation is that environments at a given level of the index are more stressful when the evaporation of sweat is restricted (by high humidity or low air movement) than when evaporation is free. As with all indices that integrate elements of the thermal environment, interpretation of the observed levels of WBGT requires careful evaluation of people's activity, clothing, and many other factors, all of which can introduce large errors into any predictions of adverse effects. Moreover, the accuracy of WBGT is being eroded by measurement errors associated with the omission of the globe temperature, with non-standard instrumentation, and with unsatisfactory calibration procedures. Because of the above limitations WBGT can provide only a general guide to the likelihood of adverse effects of heat. A much clearer assessment can be obtained by measuring the individual elements of the thermal environment, and using those measurements to estimate the requirement for evaporative cooling, the likelihood of achieving it, and more accurate and comprehensive indices of heat stress.
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              Heat waves in the United States: definitions, patterns and trends.

              High temperatures and heat waves are related but not synonymous concepts. Heat waves, generally understood to be acute periods of extreme warmth, are relevant to a wide range of stakeholders because of the impacts that these events have on human health and activities and on natural environments. Perhaps because of the diversity of communities engaged in heat wave monitoring and research, there is no single, standard definition of a heat wave. Experts differ in which threshold values (absolute versus relative), duration and ancillary variables to incorporate into heat wave definitions. While there is value in this diversity of perspectives, the lack of a unified index can cause confusion when discussing patterns, trends, and impacts. Here, we use data from the North American Land Data Assimilation System to examine patterns and trends in 15 previously published heat wave indices for the period 1979-2011 across the Continental United States. Over this period the Southeast region saw the highest number of heat wave days for the majority of indices considered. Positive trends (increases in number of heat wave days per year) were greatest in the Southeast and Great Plains regions, where more than 12 % of the land area experienced significant increases in the number of heat wave days per year for the majority of heat wave indices. Significant negative trends were relatively rare, but were found in portions of the Southwest, Northwest, and Great Plains.
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                Author and article information

                Contributors
                zaitchik@jhu.edu
                Journal
                Geohealth
                Geohealth
                10.1002/(ISSN)2471-1403
                GH2
                GeoHealth
                John Wiley and Sons Inc. (Hoboken )
                2471-1403
                21 May 2020
                May 2020
                : 4
                : 5 ( doiID: 10.1002/gh2.v4.5 )
                : e2019GH000231
                Affiliations
                [ 1 ] Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences Johns Hopkins University Baltimore MD USA
                [ 2 ] Department of Population Health Sciences Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg VA USA
                [ 3 ] Division of Preventive Medicine University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham AL USA
                Author notes
                [*] [* ] Correspondence to: B. F. Zaitchik,

                zaitchik@ 123456jhu.edu

                Author information
                https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8902-8194
                https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0698-0658
                https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2147-6222
                Article
                GH2152 2019GH000231
                10.1029/2019GH000231
                7240860
                32490302
                a23b7cac-f02e-44b7-9d8f-abcd81006a14
                © 2020. The Authors.

                This is an open access article under the terms of the http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

                History
                : 16 October 2019
                : 24 February 2020
                : 07 April 2020
                Page count
                Figures: 10, Tables: 3, Pages: 16, Words: 6944
                Categories
                Geohealth
                Impacts of Climate Change: Human Health
                Public Health
                Atmospheric Composition and Structure
                Instruments and Techniques
                Research Article
                Research Articles
                Custom metadata
                2.0
                May 2020
                Converter:WILEY_ML3GV2_TO_JATSPMC version:5.8.2 mode:remove_FC converted:21.05.2020

                heat stress,health,wbgt
                heat stress, health, wbgt

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