exposure to environmental pollutants. This may lead to obtaining a more concise history of exposure which would lead to clinical interventions tailored to the patient’ s individual circumstances.
These recommendations can be simple and may include improving ventilation, reducing indoor smoke or using air filtration when feasible. 1, 7, 8 Physicians who identify a concerning exposure history may also consider whether additional screening or monitoring is appropriate based on the patient’ s symptoms, health status and risk profile. Some cases may include closer evaluation of respiratory or cardiovascular health or other targeted tests that help determine whether chronic air pollution exposure may be contributing to disease risk or progression.
While clinicians alone cannot solve structural environmental health problems, they can and should be at the forefront of identifying risk, educating patients and connecting environmental conditions to health outcomes. As upstream environmental exposures continue to affect communities across Kentucky and beyond, continuing medical education on residential air toxics and the downstream health consequences offer a practical opportunity to strengthen patient care. Better physician knowledge can lead to more informed questions, more productive conversations with patients and their families, more collaborative exchanges between disciplines concerning environmental exposures and more impactful support for patients whose health is shaped not only by biology and societal factors, but also by the environments in which they live, work, learn and play.
References
1
Agache, I., Annesi-Maesano, I., Cecchi, L., Biagioni, B., Chung, K. F., D’ Amato, G., Damialis, A., Del Giacco, S. R., Domínguez Ortega, J., Galán, C., Gilles, S., Holgate, S. T., Jeebhay, M. F., Kazadzis, S., Nadeau, K. C., Papadopoulos, N. G., Paunovic, E., Sarno, G., Toppila-Salmi, S., … Akdis, C. A.( 2025). EAACI guidelines on environmental science for allergy and asthma— Recommendations on the impact of indoor air pollutants on the risk of new-onset asthma and on asthma-related outcomes. Allergy, 80( 3), 651 – 676. https:// doi. org / 10.1111 / all. 16502
2
DeNicola, N. G., Lasher, E., BakenRa, A., Joglekar, R., Zhang, J., Hasenburg, A., Gupta, K., Decena, D., Francisco, E., Graham, D. Y., Morris, E., Dao, B., & Woodruff, T. J.( 2025). FIGO committee opinion: Environmental drivers of obstetric health and early childhood development. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics. https:// doi. org / 10.1002 / ijgo. 70549
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Goldman, R. H., Zajac, L., Geller, R. J., & Miller, M.( 2021). Developing and implementing core competencies in children’ s environmental health for students, trainees and healthcare providers: A narrative review. BMC Medical Education, 21( 1). https:// doi. org / 10.1186 / s12909-021-02921-3
4
Kotcher, J., Patel, L., Wheat, S., Philipsborn, R., & Maibach, E.( 2024). How to communicate about climate change with patients. BMJ, 385, e079831. https:// doi. org / 10.1136 / bmj-2024-079831
5
Rojas-Rueda, D., Morales-Zamora, E., Alsufyani, W. A., Herbst, C. H., Albalawi, S., Alsukait, R. F., & Alomran, M.( 2021). Environmental risk factors and health: An umbrella review of meta-analyses. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18( 2), 704. https:// doi. org / 10.3390 / ijerph18020704
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Schraufnagel, D. E., Balmes, J. R., Cowl, C. T., De Matteis, S., Jung, S.-H., Mortimer, K., Pérez-Padilla, R., Rice, M. B., Riojas-Rodríguez, H., Sood, A. K., Thurston, G., To, T., Vanker, A., & Wuebbles, D. J.( 2019). Air pollution and noncommunicable diseases. Chest, 155( 2), 417 – 426. https:// doi. org / 10.1016 / j. chest. 2018.10.041
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Tran, V. V., Park, D., & Lee, Y.-C.( 2020). Indoor air pollution, related human diseases, and recent trends in the control and improvement of indoor air quality. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17( 8), 2927. https:// doi. org / 10.3390 / ijerph17082927
8
Vardoulakis, S., Giagloglou, E., Steinle, S., Davis, A., Sleeuwenhoek, A., Galea, K. S., Dixon, K., & Crawford, J.( 2020). Indoor exposure to selected air pollutants in the home environment: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17( 23), 8972. https:// doi. org / 10.3390 / ijerph17238972
This article was collaboratively written by members of the West Jefferson County Community Task Force.
Dr. Tuckson is a Past President of GLMS, retired colon and rectal surgeon and Host of Kentucky Health on KET.
Dr. DeJarnett is a Assistant Professor at the Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute at the University of Louisville School of Medicine and a Board Member of the West Jefferson County Community Task Force.( non-member)
Ms. Leggette is a Research Assistant at the Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.( non-member)
Mrs. Hagan-Grigsby is a board member of the West Jefferson County Community Task Force.( non-member)
Mrs. Gadson is the Execurive Director of the West Jefferson County Community Task Force.( non-member)
Dr. Anderson is a researcher at the Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.( non-member)
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