DesertData

Natural water sources are enriched with microelements like calcium, magnesium, iodine, and potassium, which are essential for human health. Deficiencies in these can lead to health issues such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, thyroid disorders, asthma, and dementia. This case study will assess desalination levels by measuring water's electrical conductivity and analyzing chemical records of drinking water reported by the Ministry of Health since 2014. A key challenge is linking water analysis outcomes from distribution centers to residents. Health data from Clalit HMO and Soroka Hospital in the Negev region (2014-2022) will be used. We will apply time-series and geospatial methods to examine morbidity rates based on exposure period and location. At the individual level, we'll assess the risk of developing specific conditions, adjusting for factors like age, gender, socioeconomic status, health habits, and comorbidities.

The research group explored the location-specific historical data on agricultural fields, their surface area and the crops grown since 2001, using archived information from the Ministry of Agriculture. Additionally, information on the flowering season of each crop was gathered through literature research and experts in the field. To identify allergy attacks, we reviewed Soroka hospital's emergency records, Clalit physician diagnoses, and Clalit pharmacy allergy medication disbursements from 2001-2022. For more severe cases, we also examined allergy-related hospitalizations. We used time-series analysis and case-crossover design at the stage of the statistical analysis.