Air Pollution News

April 18, 2024

Top Headlines

Global Study Reveals Health Impacts of Airborne Trace Elements

Apr. 17, 2024 — Researchers investigated global particulate matter, revealing health risks from trace ...

Switch to Green Wastewater Infrastructure Could Reduce Emissions and Provide Huge Savings According to New Research

Apr. 15, 2024 — Researchers have shown that a transition to green wastewater-treatment approaches in the U.S. that leverages the potential of carbon-financing could save a staggering $15.6 billion and just under 30 ...

Oxidant Pollutant Ozone Removes Mating Barriers Between Fly Species

Apr. 11, 2024 — Researchers show that ozone levels, such as those found in many places on hot summer days today, destroy the sex pheromones of fruit fly species. As a result, some natural mating boundaries maintained by species-specific pheromones no longer exist. ...

Novel UV Broadband Spectrometer Revolutionizes Air Pollutant Analysis

Apr. 10, 2024 — A research team has developed a broadband UV dual-comb spectrometer with which air pollutants can be continually measured and their reaction with the environment can be observed in real ...

Latest Headlines

updated 10:53pm EDT

Atmospheric and Economic Drivers of Global Air Pollution

Apr. 8, 2024 — Carbon monoxide emissions from industrial production have serious consequences for human health and are a strong indicator of overall air pollution levels. Many countries aim to reduce their ...

Fans Are Not a Magic Bullet for Beating the Heat!

Apr. 4, 2024 — A new study throws cold water on the idea that fans can effectively cool you down during extremely hot weather ...

New Approach to Monitoring Freshwater Quality Can Identify Sources of Pollution, and Predict Their Effects

Mar. 28, 2024 — Analysing the diversity of organic compounds dissolved in freshwater provides a reliable measure of ecosystem health, say ...

Open Waste Burning Linked to Air Pollution in Northwestern Greenland

Mar. 28, 2024 — A case study on the effects of open waste burning on air quality in Northwestern Greenland calls attention to the importance of no-one-left-behind sustainable air quality monitoring in the Arctic ...

A Self-Cleaning Wall Paint

Mar. 25, 2024 — Beautiful white wall paint does not stay beautiful and white forever. Often, various substances from the air accumulate on its surface. This can be a desired effect because it makes the air cleaner ...

Information Overload Is a Personal and Societal Danger

Mar. 14, 2024 — We are all aware of the dangers of pollution to our air, water, and earth. In a recently published letter, scientists are advocating for the recognition and mitigation of another type of ...

Multiple Air Pollutants Linked to Asthma Symptoms in Children

Mar. 13, 2024 — Exposure to several combinations of toxic atmospheric pollutants may be triggering asthma symptoms among children, a recent analysis suggests. The study showed that 25 different combinations of air ...

New Study Quantifies Health Impacts from Oil and Gas Flaring in U.S.

Mar. 12, 2024 — A new study finds that pollution from oil and gas venting and flaring results in $7.4 billion in health damages, more than 700 premature deaths, and 73,000 asthma exacerbations among children ...

Vehicle Brakes Produce Charged Particles That May Harm Public Health

Mar. 12, 2024 — Scientists know relatively little about particles released into the air when a vehicle driver brakes, though evidence suggests those particles may be more harmful to health than particles exiting the ...

AI Making Waves in Marine Data Collection

Mar. 12, 2024 — Numerous measurement stations around the world provide us with data about air quality, allowing us to enhance it. Although we are increasingly collecting data from marine areas, access to such data ...

Blueprint for Mandating Indoor Air Quality for Public Buildings in Form of Standards

Mar. 29, 2024 — A group of international experts has presented a blueprint for national indoor quality standards for public buildings. The experts addressed setting standards for three key indoor pollutants -- ...

Curbing Coal-Burning Emissions Translates to Health Gains for Children

Mar. 13, 2024 — Research finds a nearly 40% decline in the annual average concentration of respirable particulate matter (PM2.5) in Krakow, Poland, between 2010 and 2019 following the implementation of clean air ...

Air Filters and Scheduled Window Opening Can Reduce Classroom Pollution by Up to 36%

Mar. 12, 2024 — To improve air quality in classrooms, schools should use air purifiers during the school day and open the windows after hours. That's according to a new ...

Climate Policies to Reduce Motor Vehicle Emissions Can Improve Children's Health, Save Money

Mar. 12, 2024 — A new study finds that policies to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from motor vehicles combined with investments in electric vehicles and public transportation would reduce air pollution and ...

Airflow Dynamics Scrub Classroom Air

Mar. 6, 2024 — Accounting for airflow dynamics rather than just airflow volume helped researchers measure an 85% reduction in airborne pathogens inside a working ...

Short-Term Exposure to High Levels of Air Pollution Kills 1 Million Globally Every Year

Mar. 5, 2024 — Every year, more than one million deaths globally occur because of exposure to short-term (hours to days) fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in air pollution, according to a new report, with Eastern ...

Plant Lavender, Marjoram and Ivy on Your Green Wall to Clean Up the Air

Mar. 5, 2024 — Green walls can strip pollution from the air -- and some plants do it better than others, according to new research. Researchers planted 10 species on a custom-built 1.4m green ...

2020 Extreme Weather Event That Brought Fires and Snow to Western US

Mar. 2, 2024 — The same weather system that led to the spread of the devastating Labor Day wildfires in 2020 brought record-breaking cold and early-season snowfall to parts of the Rocky Mountains. Now, new research ...

Tiny Magnetic Particles in Air Pollution Linked to Development of Alzheimer's

Feb. 29, 2024 — Magnetite, a particle found in air pollution, can induce signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, new research ...

How Air Pollution Can Harm Team Performance

Feb. 28, 2024 — High levels of air pollution can affect teams doing complex tasks, which holds implications for emerging ...

You May Be Breathing in More Tiny Nanoparticles from Your Gas Stove Than from Car Exhaust

Feb. 27, 2024 — Cooking on your gas stove can emit more nano-sized particles into the air than vehicles that run on gas or diesel, possibly increasing your risk of developing asthma or other respiratory illnesses, a ...

Black Carbon Sensor Could Fill Massive Monitoring Gaps

Feb. 26, 2024 — Black carbon is up to 25 times more hazardous to human health than other airborne particles of a similar size. Standard sensors are expensive and burdensome, resulting in sparse coverage in regions ...

Wetlands, Parks and Even Botanical Gardens Among the Best Ways to Cool Cities During Heatwaves

Feb. 23, 2024 — Botanical gardens are not just beautiful -- they can cool the city air by 5 C during heatwaves, according to the most comprehensive review of its kind. Parks and wetlands have a similar ...

Air Pollution Hides Increases in Rainfall

Feb. 22, 2024 — In a new study, researchers broke down how human-induced greenhouse gas and aerosol emissions influence rainfall in the United States. Greenhouse gas emissions increase rainfall, while aerosols have ...

Air Pollution Linked to More Signs of Alzheimer's in Brain

Feb. 21, 2024 — People with higher exposure to traffic-related air pollution were more likely to have high amounts of amyloid plaques in their brains associated with Alzheimer's disease after death, according ...

Highways Through Historically Redlined Areas Likely Cause Air Pollution Disparities Today

Feb. 21, 2024 — As part of the New Deal, several governmental programs were created to expand homeownership through mortgages and loans. However, neighborhoods with primarily Black or immigrant communities often ...

New Study Finds Chemical Composition of US Air Pollution Changed Over Time

Feb. 16, 2024 — A new study analyzed space and time trends for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the continental United States to track the progress of regulatory actions by federal, state and local authorities ...

Sensors Made from 'Frozen Smoke' Can Detect Toxic Formaldehyde in Homes and Offices

Feb. 9, 2024 — Researchers have developed a sensor made from 'frozen smoke' that uses artificial intelligence techniques to detect formaldehyde in real time at concentrations as low as eight parts per ...

Cleaned Surfaces May Be Germ-Free, but They're Not Bare

Feb. 14, 2024 — Since the outbreak of COVID-19, surfaces in public spaces are cleaned more often. While disinfectant solutions eliminate germs, they don't leave behind a truly bare surface. They deposit a thin ...

Foul Fumes Pose Pollinator Problems

Feb. 8, 2024 — Scientists have discovered that nighttime air pollution -- coming primarily form car exhaust and power plant emissions -- is responsible for a major drop in nighttime pollinator activity. Nitrate ...