Urban Health Assessment Through a Planetary Health Perspective: Methods and First Results from the Rome NBFC Experiment

Addressing the planetary crisis associated with climate change, biodiversity loss, global pollution, and public health requires novel and holistic approaches. Here, we present the methodology and initial results of an experiment conducted in Rome within the framework of the National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC) project, Spoke 6. The major objective of this study was to outline the planetary health approach as a lens to assess urban health. This transdisciplinary case study explored the relationship between urban traffic-related external exposome and pro-oxidative responses in humans and plants. This methodology is based on the integration of atmospheric dynamics modeling, state-of-the-art aerosol measurements, biomonitoring in human cohorts, in vitro cellular assays, and the assessment of functional trait markers in urban trees. The results indicate that short-term exposure to urban aerosols, even at low concentrations, triggers rapid oxidative and inflammatory responses in bronchial epithelial cells, modulates gene and miRNA expression, alters gut microbiota diversity, and induces functional trait changes in urban trees. This study also highlights the feedback mechanisms between vegetation and atmospheric conditions, emphasizing the role of urban greenery in modulating microclimate and exposure. The methodology and initial results presented here will be further analyzed in future studies to explore proof of a cause–effect relationship between short-term exposure to traffic-related environmental stressors in urban areas and oxidative stress in humans and plants, with implications for chronic responses. In a highly urbanized world, this evidence could be pivotal in motivating the widespread implementation of planetary health approaches for assessing urban health.

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Journal
Atmosphere
Published
2025-09-29
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos16101144
Primary Topic
Health, Environment, Cognitive Aging
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Urban Health Assessment Through a Planetary Health Perspective: Methods and First Results from the Rome NBFC Experiment

Stefano Decesari, Danilo Ranieri, Alessia Lo Dico, Chiara Anselmi et al.
Atmosphere
Health, Environment, Cognitive Aging
article

Urban Health Assessment Through a Planetary Health Perspective: Methods and First Results from the Rome NBFC Experiment

Stefano Decesari, Danilo Ranieri, Alessia Lo Dico, Chiara Anselmi, Rachele De Giuseppe, Daiane De Vargas Brondani, Lorenzo Massimi, Edward S. Rubin, Carlo Calfapietra, Stefania Argentini, Francesca Costabile, Vito Imbrenda, Clarissa Gervasoni, Giorgio Cattani, Michele Pier Luca Guarino, Matteo Rinaldi, Gianluca Di Iulio, Maria Cristina Monti, Raffaela Gaddi, Alessandro Giammona, Luca Di Liberto, Rosa Coluzzi, Ferdinando Pasqualini, Carmina Sirignano, Annamaria Altomare, Annalisa Di Cicco, Hellas Cena, Simona Ceccarelli, Rosa Sessa, Marco Paglione, Gloria Bertoli, Alessandro Domenico Di Giosa, Alessandro Bracci, Laura De Gara, Oxana Drofa, Alice Traversa, Giampietro Casasanta, Simone Filardo, Andrea Scartazza, Tony Christian Landi, M. C. Facchini, Lina Fusaro, Stefano Listrani, Luca Mortarini, Alessandra Gaeta, Antonia Lai, Marisa Di Pietro, Silvia Canepari, Alessandro Di Menno di Bucchianico, Lorenzo Marinelli, Laura Restaneo
article en

Abstract

Addressing the planetary crisis associated with climate change, biodiversity loss, global pollution, and public health requires novel and holistic approaches. Here, we present the methodology and initial results of an experiment conducted in Rome within the framework of the National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC) project, Spoke 6. The major objective of this study was to outline the planetary health approach as a lens to assess urban health. This transdisciplinary case study explored the relationship between urban traffic-related external exposome and pro-oxidative responses in humans and plants. This methodology is based on the integration of atmospheric dynamics modeling, state-of-the-art aerosol measurements, biomonitoring in human cohorts, in vitro cellular assays, and the assessment of functional trait markers in urban trees. The results indicate that short-term exposure to urban aerosols, even at low concentrations, triggers rapid oxidative and inflammatory responses in bronchial epithelial cells, modulates gene and miRNA expression, alters gut microbiota diversity, and induces functional trait changes in urban trees. This study also highlights the feedback mechanisms between vegetation and atmospheric conditions, emphasizing the role of urban greenery in modulating microclimate and exposure. The methodology and initial results presented here will be further analyzed in future studies to explore proof of a cause–effect relationship between short-term exposure to traffic-related environmental stressors in urban areas and oxidative stress in humans and plants, with implications for chronic responses. In a highly urbanized world, this evidence could be pivotal in motivating the widespread implementation of planetary health approaches for assessing urban health.

AtmosphereVol. 16(10)
Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione Ambientale del Piemonte (IT), Università Campus Bio-Medico (IT), University of Milan (IT), University of Pavia (IT), University Hospital Waterford (IE), Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri (IT), Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology (IT), Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (IT), CNR-IMIOT – Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Istituto di Metodologie Integrate per l’Osservazione della Terra (IT), Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (IT), Institute of Biostructure and Bioimaging (IT), Research Institute on Sustainable Economic Growth (IT), National Agency for New Technologies Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (GB), National Research Council (IT), Link Campus University (IT), Sapienza University of Rome (IT), University of Palermo (IT)
European Commission, Advanced Research Projects Agency
Openalex Percentile: Top 65%
Health, Environment, Cognitive Aging
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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