Though it's almost November, temperatures across the Valley are still in the 90s. Heat is nothing new for metropolitan Phoenix residents, but several ASU researchers say the effects of “urban heat islands” could be disastrous to human health.

Researchers from across the University are working on a study of the effect that a heat island - a large area of concrete that absorbs heat more easily than areas of vegetation - and climate change have on illnesses, said Sharon Harlan, a professor in the School of Human Evolution and Social Change and the project's lead researcher.

In September, the School of Human Evolution and Social Change received a $1.4 million grant from the National Science Foundation for the project.

So far, Harlan said, the project has yielded interesting information that shows where the hottest areas in the Valley are.

“The landscape conditions control local temperature,” she said. “What we found in our test research is that landscapes that have less vegetation, more pavement and bare soil are warmer, and that's where the lower-income population tend to live,” said Harlan. She added that this often leads to more heat-related illnesses in those areas.

Research methods span across a variety of fields with researchers from the Global Institute of Sustainability looking at weather models combined with the landscaping models created by the horticulture program at the Polytechnic campus. The project will also use information from the Center of Health Information and Research on heat-related medical problems like heat exhaustion or death.

Bill Johnson, a biomedical informatics professor and director of the Center for Health Information and Research, said the researchers would use the center's database to research where heat-related illnesses mostly occur.

“We're going to be looking at data over time to see if we can find the link between the heat and the health problems,” Johnson said.

Johnson said he suspects it will take some time before a distinct pattern emerges but thinks the study will be worthwhile.

“This is a big issue in a place like Phoenix. It's the perfect setup to study heat problems,” he said. “There will be a variety of people from an array of disciplines working on this, so it will fit with [President Michael] Crow's idea of working within interdisciplinary research.”

Harlan said people should take the problem of the heat islands much more seriously.

“The problem of heat islands is very, very serious,” she said. “Heat fatalities in the U.S. outweigh the mortality of other weather disasters each year.”

According to a study done by the Arizona Department of Health Services, the majority of heat-related deaths occurred in the state's southern counties.

The department's research shows that in 2002 alone, 119 people died from heat-related deaths. The majority of these deaths were in Pima County, an area known for sparse vegetation.

Harlan said the study would be important not just in the preventative measures she hopes it will spark, but also in better connecting the University to the community.

“There's a strong educational component to this grant,” Harlan said. “In terms of the University's mission in community and embeddedness in the community, this study will contribute to that in addition to the educational aspect.”

Reach the reporter at allison.gatlin@asu.edu.