Air Pollution

Synopsis The NCAP is indeed a good start in India's battle against air pollution. But we should be prepared for the daunting task at hand when, as per the new AQGs, levels of air pollution are alarmingly high almost everywhere in the country. Every year, millions die and suffer globally…

New Delhi: The national capital will get over Rs 18 crore from the Centre under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) this year to cater to critical gaps in air pollution management, according to officials. This is the first time Delhi will get funds under NCAP, a national-level strategy for…

N95 respirators offer the best protection against wildfire smoke and other types of air pollution, performing better than synthetic, cotton and surgical masks. Researchers performed lab experiments to investigate the ability of different face masks and respirators to filter out particles in a range of sizes found in smoke and…

Photo: fizkes (Shutterstock) When we think about air pollution, it’s usually in terms of it being an outdoor problem and something we can escape once we’re indoors—especially inside our own homes. But that’s not how it works. Some sources of air pollution, like pet dander and dust mites, come from…

Video As autumn arrives in the northern hemisphere, scientists have shown how tiny connected semiconductors can be distributed on the wind in a similar way to the seasonal spreading of airborne seeds. Researchers led by Professor John Rogers of the US's Northwestern University designed printed circuits able to manifest rotational…

Largest and most comprehensive study to date of the health effects of wildfires in Brazil reveals the serious health consequences of this burning, linking exposure to wildfire pollutants to increased hospitalization. Last year the number of wildfires in Brazil increased 12.7 percent to a decade-high. Now the largest and most…

The first-ever real-time air pollution exposure calculator has been developed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in collaboration with Swiss air quality technology company IQAir, and was announced on Tuesday. The first of its kind exposure calculator builds on the work done by UNEP and IQAir on the world's…

Millions of people are dying each year from air pollution levels that exceed international guidelines. But even low concentrations of polluted air may pose health risks. Three papers and reports published last week paint a grim picture of global health outcomes related to dirty air. Countries are failing to meet…

WHO/Faith Kilford Vorting On the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies, WHO is looking ahead to the launch of the new WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines to help guide legislation and policies to reduce levels of air pollutants and decrease the burden of disease that results from exposure…

John Bisset/Stuff Aerial view showing Washdyke, which has had air quality issues in recent times. (File photo) Warm weather and reduced industrial activity has led to decreased air pollution in Washdyke and Timaru, according to Environment Canterbury. Timaru recorded just two high pollution nights since the lockdowns began on August…