Air

CURRENT NEWS

May 17 2022

The Washington Post

Pollution caused 1 in 6 deaths globally for five years, study says

By Kasha Patel Photo: Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg News

In 2015, 1 in 6 deaths worldwide stemmed from poor air quality, unsafe water and toxic chemical pollution. That deadly toll — 9 million people each year — has continued unabated through 2019, killing more…

May 16 2022

The Washington Post

Cutting air pollution from fossil fuels would save 50,000 lives a year, study says

By Steven Mufson Photo: Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post

Eliminating air pollution caused by burning fossil fuels would prevent more than 50,000 premature deaths and provide more than $600 billion in health benefits in the United States every year, according to a new study…

Apr 26 2022

National Geographic

Microplastics are in our bodies. How much do they harm us?

By Laura Parker Photo: Alexander Stein, Getty Images

A few years ago, as microplastics began turning up in the guts of fish and shellfish, the concern was focused on the safety of seafood. Shellfish were a particular worry, because in their case, unlike…

Apr 22 2022

ABC7

LA ranks No. 1 in ozone pollution, new report finds

By Jaysha Patel

1 in ozone pollution, new report finds. The report conducted by the American Lung Association found that the greater Los Angeles area had the worst ozone pollution out of more than 200 areas

Apr 22 2022

WABI5

American Lung Association’s “State of the Air” reports on Maine’s air quality

By WABI News Desk

This year’s “State of the Air” report, released by the American Lung Association, finds Maine still has some of the cleanest air in the country. However, some areas saw mixed progress for some of the…

Apr 22 2022

ABC7

Chicago gets failing grade for ozone air pollution from American Lung Association

By Stacey Baca

A new report from the American Lung Association gives the Chicago area a failing grade when it comes to some types of air pollution. Officials from the organization said the city ranks in their top…

Apr 21 2022

Gothamist

American Lung Association: NYC’s air quality is improving, but still gets a failing grade

By Rosemary Misdary Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

More than 22.5 million people are breathing bad air across New York City, Newark and its surrounding areas – and just over half are people of color. These conclusions come from the 23rd annual State…

Apr 21 2022

The Hill

137 million in US live with unhealthy levels of air pollution: American Lung Association

By Sharon Udasin Photo: Getty Images

More than 40 percent of the U.S. population — or 137 million people — are living in areas with unhealthy levels of particle pollution or ozone, according to the American Lung Association’s newest “State of…

Apr 21 2022

NPR

More than 137 million Americans live in areas with poor air quality, report finds

By Dustin Jones Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Despite decades of environmental efforts, over 40% of Americans — more than 137 million people — live in cities and states with poor air quality, a new report says. And, in addition to cars and…

Apr 12 2022

Treehugger

Microplastic particles are found deep in human lungs

By Katherine Martinko Photo: MAXSHOT / Getty Images

Microplastic particles have been discovered in the lungs of live human patients. A team of researchers from Hull York Medical School and the University of Hull in the United Kingdom has published a study in…

Apr 08 2022

The New York Times

A ‘New Era of Air Pollution’ in the Tropics Could Have a Huge Toll

By Maggie Astor Photo: Munir Uz Zaman , Getty Images

Urban air pollution in the tropics is rapidly increasing and will lead to hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths if stronger regulations are not put in place, according to a new study.

Apr 04 2022

Los Angeles Times

‘Superblooms of fungus’: Climate change is making valley fever worse

By Hayley Smith Photo: Jason Armond , Los Angeles Times

It was June 2020, and Shirley, a winemaker in Paso Robles, Calif., knew something was terribly wrong. He was going about his daily business when he doubled over with severe abdominal pain and a 103-degree…

KEY RESOURCES

The Most Detailed Map of Cancer-Causing Industrial Air Pollution in the U.S.

11/02/21

ProPublica’s analysis of five years of modeled EPA data identified more than 1,000 toxic hot spots across the country and found that an estimated 250,000 people living in them may be exposed to levels of…

Clean Air Task Force

Raising Awareness of the Health Impacts of Coal Plant Pollution

07/30/20

In 2000, 2004 and again in 2010, the Clean Air Task Force issued studies based on a methodology and model created by Abt Associates, U.S EPA’s own health benefits consultant, based on peer-reviewed, published studies…

Phys.org

Climate change is making people sick: A U.S. medical report

03/15/17

From rising levels of air pollution to increased water contamination and a widening range for disease-carrying mosquitoes, climate change is making people sick, a coalition of 11 US medical groups said Wednesday.

Nature Conservancy

Planting healthy air: Trees, particulate matter pollution and extreme heat

10/31/16

This study from the Nature Conservancy reviews the positive cooling effects of urban trees planting on hot city climates and the quality of their air.

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MORE NEWS

Harvard.edu

Increasing the use of electric cars could improve health outcomes

04/01/22

Replacing gas-powered vehicles with electric vehicles in cities could significantly reduce air pollution–related death and illness, according to John Spengler of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Forbes

Switching to electric vehicles could save lives, study finds

By Jamie Hailstone Photo: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images 03/30/22

Moving to zero-emission vehicles and energy could help prevent up to 110,000 deaths in the United States, according to a new report.

The Guardian

US transition to electric vehicles would save over 100,000 lives by 2050 – study

By Nina Lakhani Photo: Justin Sullivan 03/30/22

A speedy nationwide transition to electric vehicles powered by renewable energy would save more than 100,000 American lives and $1.2tn in public health costs over the next three decades, according to a new report.

AJPH

Air Pollution in American Indian Versus Non–American Indian Communities, 2000–2018

By Maggie Li, Markus Hilpert and Others 03/23/22

Objectives. To compare fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations in American Indian (AI)-populated with those in non–AI-populated counties over time (2000–2018) in the contiguous United States. Methods. We used a multicriteria approach to classify counties as…

UCDavis

Older Wildfire Smoke Plumes Can Affect Climate

By Emily Dooley 03/23/22

Aerosols carried in wildfire smoke plumes that are hundreds of hours old can still affect climate, according to a study out of the University of California, Davis.

AZ Central

Science needs data to solve problems. Climate change is making that harder

By Joan Meiners Photo: Thomas Hawthorne 03/23/22

Sometimes science becomes too hot to handle. That's what researchers at the University of Arizona found recently when they tried to test a new air pollution monitoring system around Tucson.

AP News

EPA acts to curb air, water pollution in poor communities

By Matthew Daly Photo: AP Photo/Gerald Herbert 01/27/22

The Environmental Protection Agency announced a series of enforcement actions Wednesday to address air pollution, unsafe drinking water and other problems afflicting minority communities in three Gulf Coast states, following a “Journey to Justice” tour…

NASA

Reducing emissions would yield dramatic health benefits by 2030

By Roberto Molar Candanosa Photo: bhumann34/pixabay 11/30/21

Air quality improvements resulting from a worldwide reduction in greenhouse gas emissions would benefit human health and prevent economic losses, according to new research by scientists from NASA, Duke University, and Columbia University.

usnews.com

Climate Change is World’s Most Pressing Health Problem: WHO

By Robert Preidt and Robin Foster 10/12/21

Climate change is the "single biggest health threat facing humanity," and governments must "act with urgency" to tackle the crisis, a World Health Organization (WHO) special report warns.

The Washington Post

Wildfire smoke poses serious health hazard. But your indoor air can be kept clean

By Bernard J. Wolfson Photo: Burak Arik 10/09/21

The fierce wildfires that broke out across much of the western United States this summer, spreading smoke across hundreds of miles, continue to pose a serious health hazard to millions. More are expected this fall.…

NPR

We need to talk about your gas stove, your health and climate change

By Jeff Brady Photo: Erano Bundoc/Getty Images/EyeEm 10/07/21

Americans love their gas stoves. It's a romance fueled by a decades-old "cooking with gas" campaign from utilities that includes vintage advertisements, a cringeworthy 1980s rap video and, more recently, social media personalities. The details…

NPR

Climate Change Is The Greatest Threat To Public Health, Top Medical Journals Warn

By Lauren Sommer Photo: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images 09/07/21

The rapidly warming climate is the "greatest threat" to global public health, more than 200 medical journals are warning in an unprecedented joint statement that urges world leaders to cut heat-trapping emissions to avoid "catastrophic…

apnews

Heavy smoke expected to linger above western Montana

07/16/21

Smoke from wildfires across the U.S. West has wafted over large swaths of western Montana on Friday, leading to unhealthy air quality in Missoula and Frenchtown. The Montana Department of Environmental Quality recommends that active…

nowthisnews.com

Air Pollution and Climate Change Cost the Average American $2500 Per Year

By Aubrey Patti 06/17/21

A report from the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) shows that air pollution and climate change cost each American an average of $2,500 per year in health care. The researchers used data from dozens of…

source.wustl.edu

New research finds 1M deaths in 2017 attributable to fossil fuel combustion

By Brandie Jefferson 06/14/21

An interdisciplinary group of researchers from across the globe has comprehensively examined the sources and health effects of air pollution — not just on a global scale, but also individually for more than 200 countries.

The Washington Post

Heat and smog hit low-income communities and people of color hardest, scientists say

By Tik Root Photo: Cassidy Araiza for The Washington Post 05/25/21

As the world warms due to climate change, two studies released this week show that heat exposure and related health issues are already having an inordinate impact on people of color and low-income communities.

everyday health

Is Outdoor Air Pollution Making My Asthma Worse?

By Markham Heid 05/25/21

Kentucky has long been “coal country.” But that’s changing — and it’s good news for people with asthma. In Louisville, the state’s largest city, several coal-powered industrial plants recently converted to cleaner natural gas. Others…

WINK

Climate change impacting health care to the tune of $820B a year

By Veronica Marshall and Jackie Winchester 05/25/21

Climate change is not just affecting the Earth and our air, it’s now affecting health care. A new report finds the financial impact tops $820 billion in health costs each year, and it could cost…

Nexus Media News

Children Exposed To Pollution In Utero More Likely To Develop Asthma

By Nexus Media News 05/25/21

Children whose mothers were exposed to high levels of ultrafine particulate pollution while they were in utero were more likely to develop asthma, new research has found. The study, published in the American Journal of…

The Washington Post

Air pollution from farms leads to 17,900 U.S. deaths per year, study finds

By Sarah Kaplan Photo: Alex Wroblewski/Bloomberg News 05/10/21

The smell of hog feces was overwhelming, Elsie Herring said. The breezes that wafted from the hog farm next to her mother’s Duplin County, N.C., home carried hazardous gases: methane, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide.

The conversation

Reducing methane is crucial for protecting climate and health, and it can pay for itself – so why aren’t more companies doing it?

By Drew Shindell 05/07/21

Methane, the main ingredient in natural gas, is a larger climate problem than the world anticipates, and cutting its emissions will be crucial to slow global warming, a new United Nations report warns. The greenhouse…

Scientific American

For Americans’ Health, a Dollar of Carbon Emissions Prevented Is Worth a Ton of Cure

By Timothy G. Singer and Frances C. Moore Photo: Getty Images 04/17/21

In late February, the Biden administration made a major announcement that has the potential to affect the health of Americans for generations. Notably, it had nothing directly to do with COVID-19 or even health care…

mcgill.ca

Air pollution: The silent killer called PM2.5 News

03/11/21

Millions of people die prematurely every year from diseases and cancer caused by air pollution. The first line of defence against this carnage is ambient air quality standards. Yet, according to researchers from McGill University,…

The Guardian

California’s wildfire smoke could be more harmful than vehicle emissions, study says

By Maanvi Singh Photo: Allen J Schaben , Los Angeles Times 03/06/21

The thick, grey wildfire smoke that shrouds California each autumn and winter could be more harmful to humans than pollution from cars and other sources, a new study has found.

www.hsph.harvard.edu

Pollen seasons are getting longer, driven by climate change

02/25/21

Since 1990, pollen seasons have gotten longer and more pollen-filled, and climate change is responsible, according to a new study. The study found that, since 1990, pollen seasons lengthened by 20 days and contained 21% more pollen. The…

time.com

Healthy Planet, Healthy People. How Slowing Climate Change Saves Lives

By Aryn Baker Photo: Florian Gaertner 02/24/21

Just because the United States has re-joined the Paris Agreement doesn’t mean that the world is on a path to a better climate future. The 2015 agreement, in which signatories pledged to collectively cap global…

The New York Times

Wildfire Smoke Is Poisoning California’s Kids. Some Pay a Higher Price.

By Somini Sengupta Photo: Chang W. Lee 11/26/20

The fires sweeping across millions of acres in California aren’t just incinerating trees and houses. They’re also filling the lungs of California’s children with smoke, with potentially grave effects over the course of their lives.

ECOWATCH

Even Small Spikes in Air Pollution Can Threaten Children’s Mental Health, Research Suggests

By Sam Nickerson 09/27/19

Climate change is making air pollution worse and is exacerbating smog-related health risks such as heart and lung diseases, pregnancy complications and development issues. Now, a...

Study finds air pollution reaches placenta during pregnancy

By Lauran Neergaard 09/18/19

A new study suggests when a pregnant woman breathes in air pollution, it can travel beyond her lungs to the placenta that guards her fetus. During pregnancy it's been linked to premature births and low…

CNN

EPA veteran: Changing math on air pollution is deadly

By Christiane Amanpour 05/23/19

Fmr. Associate EPA Director John Bachmann talks to Amanpour about the agency's controversial plan to change how it calculates the health risks of air pollution.

Marketplace

Study links air pollution to early death

By Scott Tong 11/19/18

What’s the benefit of cleaner air? An extra two years of life for the average person in the world, a new study finds.

CNN

EPA quietly telling states they can pollute more

By Rene Marsh, Gregory Wallace and Ellie Kaufman Photo by Mark Ralston 10/31/18

The Environmental Protection Agency has quietly signaled it may allow states to release more ozone air pollution, commonly known as smog, dirtying the air in those states and neighboring ones, but the agency did not…

The Washington Post

The Energy 202: Three misleading things about Trump’s clean air tweet

By Dino Grandoni 10/23/18

President Trump boasted on Twitter Monday that the United States has the "Cleanest Air in the World - BY FAR!" He backed up that claim by tweeting out a map depicting little lung-choking soot hanging…

The Guardian

Air pollution causes ‘huge’ reduction in intelligence, study reveals

By Damian Carrington and Lily Kuo Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty 08/27/18

Air pollution causes a “huge” reduction in intelligence, according to new research, indicating that the damage to society of toxic air is far deeper than the well-known impacts on physical health.

The New York Times

Air Pollution Is Shortening Your Life. Here’s How Much.

By Somini Sengupta Photo: Maddie McGarvey 08/22/18

Air pollution is shaving months — and in some cases more than a year — off your life expectancy, depending on where you live, according to a study published Wednesday.

UnDark Magazine

The Weight of Numbers: Air Pollution and PM2.5

08/08/18

Emanating from smokestacks, vehicle engines, construction projects, and fires large and small, airborne pollution – sometimes smaller than the width of a human hair, and very often the product of human activity – is not…