air pollution

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Trees Along Highways Don't Just Make the Drive Prettier

Study finds they can significantly reduce air pollution

(Newser) - It's arguably more pleasant to drive along a highway lined with trees and bushes versus one that lacks greenery. A new study finds the upside isn't just aesthetic. Georgia State University researchers report in a study published in PLoS One that vegetation along highways significantly reduces the air...

One Nation Claims Dozens of World's Most-Polluted Cities

India isn't breathing easy, per new air-quality report, which notes only 10 nations get WHO's thumbs-up

(Newser) - If your city's air pollution has you reaching for the N95, you're not alone. Per a new report from Swiss tech company IQAir, out of 134 nations and regions surveyed, only 10 of them meet an international air-quality standard set forth by the World Health Organization, reports CNN...

Earth Has Breached Its 'Safe Operating Space for Humanity'

Planet's climate, biodiversity, and other key measurments 'are all out of whack'

(Newser) - Earth is exceeding its "safe operating space for humanity" in six of nine key measurements of its health, and two of the remaining three are headed in the wrong direction, a new study said. Earth's climate, biodiversity, land, fresh water, nutrient pollution, and "novel" chemicals (human-made compounds...

Deadly 'Double Whammy:' Heat Wave, Plus Air Pollution

Researchers see an increased risk of fatal heart attacks with this combination

(Newser) - Prolonged heat can increase the risk of a heart attack. So, too, can exposure to air pollution. "The two things together are more than a double whammy," epidemiologist Joel Kaufman of the University of Washington tells the Wall Street Journal , referring to a new study in the journal...

Internet Praises This 'Genius' DIY Air Purifier

Box fan, some air filters, and duct tape are what people are using to fend off wildfire pollutants

(Newser) - Social media users are sharing a surprisingly effective way to protect yourself indoors from the toxic wildfire smoke blanketing much of the East Coast: a box fan, four air filters, and a whole lot of duct tape. As searches for "air purifiers" spike on Google, people are posting on...

Wildfire Smoke Made NYC's Air Worst in the World

Canadian wildfires have brought unhealthy air to much of the eastern US

(Newser) - In New York City, officials have asked vulnerable people to stay indoors or wear masks when they go outside—and it's nothing to do with COVID. Smoke from Canadian wildfires has made the city's air quality "very unhealthy," Mayor Eric Adams said late Tuesday, urging all...

This Was Beijing on Friday
This Was Beijing on Friday

This Was Beijing on Friday

Chinese capital all but disappears amid a dust storm and heavy pollution

(Newser) - Skyscrapers in Beijing disappeared into the haze and air quality plummeted as China’s capital was enveloped in a dust storm and heavy pollution on Friday. Concentrations of the tiny PM2.5 particles that can reach deep into the lungs and bloodstream entered a dangerous range on air quality monitoring...

For Child Asthma, Gas Stoves as Bad as Second-Hand Smoke
13% of US Child Asthma
Cases Blamed on Gas Stoves
NEW STUDY

13% of US Child Asthma Cases Blamed on Gas Stoves

It's about the same prevalence as caused by second-hand smoke, researcher says

(Newser) - Gas stoves, found in 35% of US homes, are responsible for about one in eight cases of childhood asthma in the US, according to what researchers describe as "eye-popping" new findings. Studies have shown gas stoves, even when not in use , emit a level of pollution "that can...

This Is a 'Wake-Up Call' on Danger of Air Pollution
This Is a 'Wake-Up Call'
on Danger of Air Pollution
NEW STUDY

This Is a 'Wake-Up Call' on Danger of Air Pollution

Researchers discover how fine particulate matter triggers gene mutations to form lung cancer

(Newser) - For some of us, cells in our lungs mutate with age. These mutations seem perfectly healthy—until they come up against air pollution. The result is rapid changes in the cells that turn them cancerous, which could explain why people who've never smoked still develop lung cancer, according to...

Amid War in Ukraine, a New Looming Concern

Contamination of nation's water, air, and soil could take years to assess and clean up, experts warn

(Newser) - Death and destruction isn't all that's been left in the wake of Russia's unrelenting war on Ukraine. Contamination of the nation's water, air, and soil are also now a concern, and it's an issue that could take years to remedy. Fires, explosions, building collapses, and...

Research Adds to Case Against Gas Stoves

Scientists say potentially harmful emissions are worse than thought

(Newser) - Among environmental researchers and government regulators, it’s already common knowledge that gas appliances produce emissions that are potentially harmful to humans, including nitrogen oxides, toxic particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and even formaldehyde. That’s why furnaces and water heaters are required to be vented outside the building. Researchers are...

EPA Rule for Trucks Would Cut Some Emissions by 90%

Environmental groups urge moving quickly toward 100%

(Newser) - The Biden administration is proposing stronger pollution regulations for new tractor-trailer rigs that would clean up smoky diesel engines and encourage new technologies over the next two decades. The proposal released Monday by the Environmental Protection Agency would require the industry to cut smog- and soot-forming nitrogen oxide emissions by...

Study: China Manipulated the Weather for Centenary Event

Country used cloud seeding to lower air pollution, bring about clear skies, say researchers

(Newser) - As the 100th anniversary of China's Communist Party approached in July, the government wanted to make sure that the event was pulled off without a hitch—including ensuring there was good weather for the big day. Which is why researchers out of Tsinghua University are now saying that officials...

Interactive Map Details Toxic Hot Spots Around US
Interactive Map Details
Toxic Hot Spots Around US
propublica

Interactive Map Details Toxic Hot Spots Around US

ProPublica uses EPA data to produce what may be the most detailed map yet

(Newser) - The journalistic organization ProPublica has crunched EPA data to produce what it calls the most detailed map ever of industrial sites that produce cancer-causing air pollution. The project has identified more than 1,000 "toxic hot spots" around the country with a threshold of having a 1 in 100,...

Egypt Confiscates Ever Given in Dispute Over Compensation

Ship damaged Suez Canal, cost other companies, and added pollution

(Newser) - The ship that shut down the Suez Canal last month when it ran aground has been taken over by Egypt in a battle over compensation. Egypt wants about $1 billion from the ship's Japanese owners and insurers to cover damage the Ever Given did to the canal, the cost...

The Air in Subway Stations Is as Bad as You Think
The Air in Subway Stations
Is as Bad as You Think
new study

The Air in Subway Stations Is as Bad as You Think

Study finds NYC has particularly high air pollution

(Newser) - All those Salesforce employees in New York City who are giving up the commute for good may have more reasons than one to be glad about it. A study published Wednesday in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives looked at the quality of the air during AM and PM rush hours...

9-Year-Old's Death Officially Caused by Air Pollution

It's a landmark coroner's ruling in London

(Newser) - Ella Kissi-Debrah died in 2013 at the age of nine. On Wednesday she reportedly became the first person to ever have air pollution given as a cause of death on her death certificate. CNN reports on the landmark coroner's ruling regarding Ella, who lived near one of London's...

Trump Administration Won't Tighten Air Quality Standards

EPA scientists were among the experts who wanted a change

(Newser) - Despite evidence of the harmful effects of air pollution on people with COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses, the Trump administration has decided against tightening soot standards. The Environmental Protection Agency instead will lock in limits put in place by President Obama's administration in 2012 for another five years. Experts...

Smoke Forces Yosemite's Closure
Smoke Forces
Yosemite's Closure

Smoke Forces Yosemite's Closure

Hazardous air expected for several days

(Newser) - Yosemite National Park has been closed indefinitely as smoke from wildfires turns the air into a polluted mess. An air quality monitor run by the federal government showed a pollution score of 681 in the park on Thursday, per the Los Angeles Times . Hazardous air is anything scoring above 300....

Amid Lockdown, Residents Gasp at Unexpected Sight

People in India say they can see Himalayas for first time in decades

(Newser) - On a clear day you can see forever—or, suddenly, the Himalayas, if you're a resident of northern India. The world's biggest lockdown due to the coronavirus started in India at the end of March, and everyone staying home in the nation of 1.3 billion people seems...

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