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Satellite and Reanalysis Air Quality Data and Services at NASA GES DISC for Public Health Study

Outbreaks of infectious diseases and health can be influenced by airborne and water-borne pollutants. Furthermore, air and water quality are associated with climate variability, industrialization, land use and land cover change, and water resource management. It is therefore crucial to understand environment-disease connections with existing long-term observed and modeled data, particularly for development of early warning systems for infectious disease outbreaks. The NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) (https://disc.gsfc.nasa.gov) archives large volumes of global environment data that are useful for research and applications regarding environmental factors and public health. Examples of air quality measurements are: Daily satellite remotely sensed data, including Aerosol Index (AI), O3, SO2, CO, and NO2 from Aura/OMI (October 2014 to present), and OMPS-NPP (January 2012 to present, currently research data products only) Hourly and monthly reanalysis modeled data, including PM2.5, O3, CO, SO2, BC, dust, AOD, and aerosol types from MERRA-2 (January 1980 to present) Examples of surface meteorology and land surface measurements are: hourly, daily, and monthly satellite precipitation from TRMM (December 1997 to March 2015) 30-minute and monthly satellite precipitation from GPM (March 2014 to present); Hourly and monthly modeled surface meteorology and land surface condition from MERRA-2 (January 1980 to present) and land surface assimilation models (January 1948 to present), including precipitation, surface temperature, relative humidity, wind, and soil moisture.This presentation will give an overview of relevant environmental data at the NASA GES DISC. Through a number of use cases, such as dust events and active fires, we will introduce data services that assist in finding the right data, enable visualization and analysis of the data online, and allow downloading of data in user-preferred format.

remote sensing data↗

Satellites as Sentinels for Environment & Health

Satellites as Sentinels for Environment & Health Remotely-sensed data and observations are providing powerful new tools for addressing human and ecosystem health by enabling improved understanding of the relationships and linkages between health-related environmental parameters and society as well as techniques for early warning of potential health problems. NASA Office of Earth Science Applications Program has established a new initiative to utilize its data, expertise, and observations of the Earth for public health applications. In this initiative, lead by Goddard Space Flight Center, remote sensing, geographic information systems, improved computational capabilities, and interdisciplinary research between the Earth and health science communities are being combined in rich collaborative efforts resulting in more rapid problem-solving, early warning, and prevention in global health issues. This presentation provides a number of recent examples of applications of advanced remote sensing and other technologies to health.and security issues related to the following: infectious and vector-borne diseases; urban, regional and global air pollution; African and Asian airborne dust; heat stress; UV radiation; water-borne disease; extreme weather; contaminant pathways (ocean, atmosphere, ice)

Maynard, Nancy G.↗

Microbial Monitoring of the International Space Station

Humans living and working in the harsh environment of space present many challenges for habitability engineers and microbiologists. Spacecraft must provide an internal environment in which physical (gas composition, pressure, temperature, and humidity), chemical, and biological environmental parameters are maintained at safe levels. Microorganisms are ubiquitous and will accompany all human-occupied spacecraft, but if biological contamination were to reach unacceptable levels, long-term human space flight would be impossible. Prevention of microbiological problems, therefore, must have a high priority. Historically, prevention of infectious disease in the crew has been the highest priority, but experience gained from the NASA-Mir program showed that microbial contamination of vehicle and life-support systems, such as biofouling of water and food, are of equal importance. The major sources of microbiological risk factors for astronauts include food, drinking water, air, surfaces, payloads, research animals, crew members, and personnel in close contact with the astronauts. In our efforts to eliminate or mitigate the negative effects of microorganisms in spacecraft, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) implemented comprehensive microbial analyses of the major risk factors. This included the establishment of acceptability requirements for food, water, air, surfaces, and crew members. A robust monitoring program was then implemented to verify that the risks were within acceptable limits. Prevention of microbiological problems is preferred over mitigation of problems during flight, and preventive steps must begin very early in the design phase. Spacecraft development must include requirements to control free water from humidity, condensate, hygiene activities, and other releases. If water is available, microbes are likely to grow because sufficient nutrients are potentially available. Materials selected for the spacecraft must not promote or support microbial growth. Air filtration can dramatically reduce the number of airborne bacteria, fungi, and particulates in spacecraft breathing air. Waterborne bacteria can be reduced to acceptable levels by thermal inactivation of bacteria during water processing, along with a residual biocide, and filtration at the point of use can ensure safety. System design must include onboard capability to achieve recovery of the system from contamination. Robust housekeeping procedures that include periodic cleaning and disinfection will prevent high levels of microbial growth on surfaces. Food for consumption in space must be thoroughly tested for excessive microbial content and pathogens before launch. Thorough preflight examination of flight crews, consumables, payloads, and the environment can greatly reduce pathogens in spacecraft. Many of the lessons learned from the Space Shuttle and previous programs were applied in the early design phase of the International Space Station, resulting in the safest space habitat to date. This presentation describes the monitoring program for the International Space Station and will summarize results from preflight and on-orbit monitoring.

Pierson, Duane L.↗