Air Pollution

The expansion of the Ulez ultra-low emission zone to the Greater London boundary has been slightly more successful than first thought at cleaning up toxic air emissions from vehicles. A new analysis based on the first year of the expansion found that levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) – which is…

HANOI, March 1 — Toxic smoke billows from a burning mound of plastic bags and leaves on Le Thi Huyen’s farm in Hanoi, a...Read More

While the connection between air pollution and lung disease could appear obvious, the link between breathing in toxins and suffering memory loss looks about as clear as a cloud of cigarette smoke. Scientists at Scripps Research Institute first identified how contaminants in smog, pesticides, and other airborne chemical can affect…

February 28, 2025 4 min read Even modest amounts of air pollution may affect athletic performance, a new study finds By Claire Maldarelli edited by Tanya Lewis Participants run during the 2014 Beijing International Marathon in heavy smog. Even moderately poor air quality can affect finish times, a new study…

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A man walks in the Sanlitun shopping district on a polluted day, in Beijing, China, November 6, 2021. — Reuters China is intensifying its battle against severe air pollution, aiming for significant improvements by the end of 2025, according to Li Tianwei, director of the Department of Atmospheric Environment. The…

Australia ranks among the best in the world for air quality, but with worsening climate change and an ever-extending bushfire season, some experts warn even low levels of air pollution are impacting our health. As more and more evidence links air pollution to both long and short-term cognitive issues, medical…

Most of us associate air pollution with the outdoors—from car or bus exhaust in a city to industrial waste or wildfire smoke. But you may not realize the air inside your home can be even more contaminated, especially in winter. Since home is where we spend some 70 percent of…

To compile our ranking, we'll be looking at data from Yale University's Environmental Performance Index (EPI). The EPI ranking includes such important variables as PM 2.5, ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds and others. This data is from a report issued in 2024. We'll also be using the…

A growing body of research suggests that air pollution affects our brains. Lifetime exposure to poor air quality has been associated with disorders including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis. A new study finds even short-term exposure to polluted air can cause challenges for cognitive functioning, including selective attention…