Group | Physical Hazards and Health
Man-made and natural physical hazards are ubiquitously distributed in our environment. The research of the Physical Hazards and Health Research group focuses on (but is not restricted to) the health effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields, ultraviolet radiation, ionizing radiation, climate including extreme weather events, and noise.
Impact of our Environment
We develop exposure assessment methods and apply them to epidemiological studies to examine the impact of physical hazards on health. We consider a wide variety of health outcomes that are relevant in this context, such as carcinogenicity, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases or health-related quality of life. We also conduct regular health impact assessments and systematic reviews. In addition to physical hazards, we address the cardio-respiratory health effects of passive smoking and air pollution exposure.

Martin Röösli
Associate Professor, PhD
Group Leader
+41612848383
martin.roosli@swisstph.ch
Selected Projects
All Swiss TPH ProjectsLatest Publications
All Swiss TPH PublicationsAlahmad B et al. Associations between extreme temperatures and cardiovascular cause-specific mortality: results from 27 countries. Circulation. 2023;147(1):35-46. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.122.061832
Buteau S et al. Associations between environmental noise and myocardial infarction and stroke: Investigating the potential mediating effects of hypertension. Environ Res. 2023;231(Pt 1):116092. DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116092
Kelly S.L, Shattock A.J, Ragettli M.S, Vienneau D, Vicedo-Cabrera A.M, de Hoogh K. The air and viruses we breathe: assessing the effect the PM2.5 air pollutant has on the burden of COVID-19. Atmosphere. 2023;14(5):887. DOI: 10.3390/atmos14050887
Masselot P et al. Excess mortality attributed to heat and cold: a health impact assessment study in 854 cities in Europe. Lancet Planet Health. 2023;7(4):e271-e281. DOI: 10.1016/S2542-5196(23)00023-2
Ragettli M.S et al. Explorative assessment of the temperature–mortality association to support health-based heat-warning thresholds: a national case-crossover study in Switzerland. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20(6):4958. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20064958
Rai M et al. Heat-related cardiorespiratory mortality: effect modification by air pollution across 482 cities from 24 countries. Environ Int. 2023;174:107825. DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.107825
Wicki B et al. Suicide and transportation noise: a prospective cohort study from Switzerland. Environ Health Perspect. 2023;131(3):37013. DOI: 10.1289/EHP11587
Bosch-Capblanch X et al. The effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields exposure on human self-reported symptoms: a protocol for a systematic review of human experimental studies. Environ Int. 2022;158:106953. DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106953
Castro A et al. Methods matter: a comparative review of health risk assessments for ambient air pollution in Switzerland. Public Health Rev. 2022;43:1604431. DOI: 10.3389/phrs.2022.1604431
Choi H.M et al. Effect modification of greenness on the association between heat and mortality: a multi-city multi-country study. eBioMedicine. 2022;84:104251. DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.4064658