Workers’ health under climate change: Air pollution

Series of ten infographics describing the main risks to workers’ health related to climate change and the environment International Labour Organization (ILO) 2024

Author

Affiliation

Edgar Rodriguez-Huerta

University of Nottingham, Rights Lab

Effect of air pollution workers’ health

Cancer (lung), respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease ¹

Our Air pollution Score

Air pollution hazard was estimated using the annual mean concentration of fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅) from Global inequality in environmental conditions² . Air quality was normalised using a piecewise, risk-based scaling approach, in which the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline value of 5 µg/m³ for annual PM₂.₅ was assigned a hazard score of 50 (high risk), and maximum value in Brazil (38.78) as 100,

Data visualization summarizes the analysis of excessive heat in Brazil, disaggregated by municipality, population, and crops, to identify spatial differences and heat stress hotspots across dimensions. By translating complex climate and socio-environmental data into accessible visual formats, data visualization supports better decision-making, enabling targeted interventions, risk prioritization, and policies that advance decent work in agriculture.

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Footnotes

1. International Labour Organization (ILO). Ensuring safety and health at work in a changing climate. https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/safety-and-health-at-work/resources-library/publications/WCMS_893111/lang–en/index.htm

2. Ormaza-Zulueta, N., Mehrabi, Z., 2025. Global inequality in environmental conditions underpinning human rights. Environ. Res. Commun. 7, 095017. https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ae0407