Exploring the effects of environmental factors on Chronic Kidney Disease
This research examines possible links between soil elements, deprivation and chronic kidney disease (CKD) data from the UK Renal Registry including Chronic Kidney Disease of uncertain aetiology (CKDu) to investigate the impact of environmental toxins including air pollution data on human health.
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This interdisciplinary research on the links between health and the natural environment has involved working within the UK and Ireland with the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry and more recently with the nephrology research group, Belfast Health Trust and the UK Renal Registry.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD), a collective term for many causes of progressive renal failure, is increasing worldwide due to ageing and a general increase in obesity and diabetes. CKD attributed to unknown aetiology (termed CKDu) is an increasing issue globally with the occurrence of geographic clusters appearing to suggest potential underlying environmental causes of CKDu.
Recent reviews of the impact of air pollution on human health have shown scientific evidence for the detrimental effects of air pollutants, including environmental toxins which may become blood-borne and translocate to tissues such as the liver, brain and kidney. Atmospheric pollution deposition from traffic and brake wear emissions have been discovered to be important potential sources of toxic metals including arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe), molybdenum (Mo), lead (Pb), tin (Sn), antimony (Sb), Uranium (U) and Zinc (Zn).
Although CKDu is a global problem, recognised by WHO, this is the first study to use the UK renal registry data to investigate CKDu in the UK and is arguably the first to examine the relationship between CKDu, CKD and urbanisation globally.
Strategic partner and steering committee for €4.5 EU funded Tellus Border project
Tellus Border was funded by the INTERREG IVA programme of the European Regional Development Fund, which is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (www.seupb.eu). The project was additionally part-funded by the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government (Ireland) and Department of the Environment (Northern Ireland). http://www.tellusborder.eu/ https://www2.bgs.ac.uk/gsni/tellus/index.html
EU INTERREG IVA-funded TELLUS Border Project, 2013. £38,935.00. 10761 DETI/GSNI Scientific Research Services for the Tellus Border Project.
- [1] McKinley, J.M, Mueller, U., Atkinson, P.M., Ofterdinger, U., Cox, S F., Doherty, R., Fogarty, D., Egozcue, J.J., Pawlowsky-Glahn, V. (2020) Chronic kidney disease of unknown origin is associated with social deprivation and environmental urbanisation in Belfast, UK., Environ Geochem Health. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-020-00618-y
- [2] McKinley, J.M, Mueller, U., Atkinson, P.M., Ofterdinger, U., Jackson, C., Cox, S F., Doherty, R., Fogarty, D., Egozcue, J.J., Pawlowsky-Glahn, V. (2020) Investigating the influence of environmental factors on the incidence of renal disease with compositional data analysis using balances. Applied Computing and Geosciences, vol 6, 100024, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acags.2020.100024
- [3] Jackson, CE, McKinley, JM, Ofterdinger, U, Fogarty, D, Atkinson, PM & Palmer, S 2016, 'Investigating relations between environmental toxins in northern Irish soils and streams and Chronic Kidney Disease prevalence' Applied Geochemistry. DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeochem.2016.10.016
- [4] McKinley, J, Ofterdinger, U, Palmer, S, Jackson, C, Fogarty, D & Gavin, A 2016, Combining environmental and medical datasets to explore potential associations between environmental factors and health: Policy implications for human health risk assessments. in M Young (ed.), Unearthed: impacts of the Tellus surveys of the north of Ireland. Royal Irish Academy Science Series, Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, pp. 337-345.
- [5] McKinley, J.M., Ofterdinger, U., Young, M., Barsby, A. & Gavin, A. 2013, 'Investigating local relationships between trace elements in soils and cancer data' Spatial Statistics, vol 5, pp. 25-41., http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.spasta.2013.05.001
- [6] Barsby, A., McKinley, J.M., Ofterdinger, U., Young, M., Cave, M.R. & Wragg, J. 2012, 'Bioaccessibility of trace elements in soils in Northern Ireland' Science of The Total Environment, vol 433, no. null, pp. 398-417., http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.05.099
The School of Natural and Built Environment at Queen's University Belfast are joined by several international partners in this research
Details of international partners are as follows:
Nephrology Research Group, Belfast Health Trust, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Geological Survey of Northern Ireland
Geological Survey of Ireland
Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, UK,
School of Science, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia
Dept. Civil and Environmental Engineering, U. Politécnica de Cataluña (UPC), Barcelona, Spain
Dep. Computer Sciences, Applied Mathematics, and Statistics, University of Girona, Spain
- Goal 3 Good health and wellbeing – This research explores how the natural environment impacts our health and wellbeing. The research addresses on the impact of urban landscapes and the need to reduce pollution and improve longer term sustainability for imporved health and well being.
- Goal 10 Reduced inequality within and amongst countries – This research addresses the importance of understanding population demographics and the impact of social and economic deprivation.
Keywords associated with the Research
- Geochemistry, compositional data analysis, environment, health, Chronic kidney disease, uncertain aetiology, anthropogenic toxins, toxic metals, atmospheric pollution
Contact Details / Social Media
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Prof Jennifer McKinley
Professor of Geology and Mathematical Geoscience,
Director of Centre for GIS and Geomatics
School of Natural and Built Environment,
Queen's University Belfast,
Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK. BT7 1NN.
j.mckinley@qub.ac.uk
Further relevant info
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International Recognition
- Compositional analysis using balances of geochemical environmental toxins to explore potential associations with chronic kidney disease. Keynote at CoDa association Online CoDa Day 2021
https://www.coda-association.org/en/coda-info/past-activities/online-coda-day-2021/
Available on youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txNmObnAqQg&list=PLP8tIUbGjXoRdlX_87pi5LTRzZISmYVae&index=4&t=15s
- The research in this area was highlighted in the BGS GSNI 70th Anniversary Science Review (2017) and a number of public policy implications for regional human health risk assessments, public health policy and education have arisen from this work.
- For the 70th celebration of Geological Survey Northern Ireland (GSNI) Jenny was awarded a STEMinist award to acknowledge my research contribution to applied geoscience research with GSNI data, with relevance to environment and heath policy.
- As an invited participant in the RIA joint initiative with Northern Ireland Stormont Assembly Politics Plus scientist pairing scheme (2013-2014), Jenny collaborated with members of the NI Local Assembly on the subject of health and the natural environment and with the RIA Scientist and Oireachtas Member pairing Scheme, May 2015– November 2015.
- Compositional analysis using balances of geochemical environmental toxins to explore potential associations with chronic kidney disease. Keynote at CoDa association Online CoDa Day 2021