Use of big data in environmental and occupational epidemiology: the beep project

Objectives The two-year BEEP project (Big Data in Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology) started in June 2017 (http://www.progettobeep.it/index.php/en/). The project relies on BIG DATA methodology, and its general objective is estimating the health effects of air pollution, noise and meteorological parameters on the Italian general population. Such health effects include the risks of: 1. hospitalization and mortality at national level and in the leading Italian metropolitan areas; 2. occupational injuries; 3. commuting accidents; The project has four specific objectives characterized by different spatial domains: national, regional, metropolitan and sub-urban. Materials and Methods Large spatio-temporal database are being linked to each other, and modern statistical models (random forests, splines, Poisson regression) are being implemented. The following data sources are being used: 1. Satellite data with high spatial-temporal resolution; 2. Environmental monitoring data; 3. Land use data; 4. Data on dynamic population distribution; 5. Data on mortality and hospital admissions; 6. Data from cohort studies (Rome and Pisa); 7. Data on work injuries and commuting accidents. Results In the first year of the project, estimates of air pollutant concentrations and meteorological parameters have been produced, and their health effects estimated at national and regional level. In particular, the following output were produced: 1. estimates of daily maps of atmospheric particulate concentration (PM10, PM2.5), with high spatial resolution (1 km2), for the years 2006-2015 at national level; 2. estimates of daily maps of air temperature, with the same spatial resolution, for the period 2001-2010; 3. estimates of the effect of air pollutants and temperature on mortality in 5 Italian regions and urgent hospital admissions at national level; 4. estimates of the effect of temperature and PM on work injuries. Conclusions The results yielded by the BEEP project, beyond stimulating new scientific developments, will provide useful information for public decision-makers in the field of air quality, planning of urban environments and public health protection.