Air Pollution News and Research

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New international standard creates unified health data across Europe

Every breath we take contains tiny particles that are invisible to the naked eye and can harm our health. Air pollution alone contributes to heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, and other chronic illnesses.

21 Sep 2026

Wildfire smoke may be more harmful than other air pollution, two Mount Sinai studies find

As climate change drives more frequent and intense wildfires, researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have published two large-scale studies showing that wildfire smoke may pose greater health risks than other sources of air pollution, with higher risks of hospitalization for cardiovascular and respiratory disease and poorer survival among patients with lung cancer.

18 Sep 2026

Wildfire smoke poses greater health risks than other pollution

17 Sep 2026

Study explores pregnancy risks from heat and wildfire smoke

Wildfire smoke and extreme heat – increasingly the new norm – each have their own harmful effects on pregnant people and babies, including preterm birth and low birthweight.

15 Sep 2026

Nighttime coughing could be due to air pollution levels, research suggests

Has your partner ever woken you up at night with their coughing? Has your coughing ever woken them up? New research suggests it could be due to air pollution levels in your area, even if those levels are low.

15 Sep 2026

Optimizing respiratory virus research workflows with VACUBOY

UTS researchers utilize the VACUBOY and VACUSAFE systems to enhance respiratory health studies, streamlining cell culture workflows and improving productivity.

15 Sep 2026

Bacterial strains determine pneumonia and meningitis risk from air pollution

Air pollution leads to different risk of bacterial pneumonia, sepsis, and meningitis, depending on the subtype of bacteria a person has, new research suggests.

15 Sep 2026

Air pollution linked to higher risks of glaucoma and cataract

People who live in areas with higher levels of air pollution are more likely to develop glaucoma and cataract, according to a large study presented today (Monday) at the 44th Congress of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS).

15 Sep 2026

Neighborhood environments impact long-term health of 9/11 responders

Twenty-five years after the September 11 terrorist attacks, researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have found that environmental conditions where World Trade Center responders live may influence their long-term physical and mental health.

11 Sep 2026

Neural network model accurately predicts regional heat mortality risk

Extreme heat is a leading cause of climate-related mortality, responsible for over five million deaths globally each year. As climate change intensifies, these events are becoming more frequent and severe, posing significant challenges to public health, particularly in densely populated urban areas.

10 Sep 2026

The link between PM2.5 and ADHD held up after researchers tested other explanations

Using two decades of U.S. county-level data, researchers found that long-term PM2.5 exposure was robustly associated with higher childhood ADHD prevalence, while associations with low birth weight and diabetes weakened after accounting for county-specific temporal trends. The ADHD association persisted after socioeconomic, demographic, state-level, exposure-period, and spatial adjustments, although the ecological study cannot establish an individual-level causal relationship.

9 Sep 2026

Bacteria found in classroom dust may affect children’s respiratory health

Common bacteria found in classroom dust are associated with reduced lung function in children according to research presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

6 Sep 2026

Genetic COPD risk emerges early with higher air pollution

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a serious, incurable lung disease that is common in older people.

6 Sep 2026

Researchers find greater microplastic burden in lung cancer patients

People with lung cancer are more likely to have microplastics in their lungs and to have larger quantities of microplastics in their lungs, according to research that will be presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

4 Sep 2026

China faces rising lung cancer deaths driven by aging population

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death both globally and in China, accounting for roughly 40% of the world's lung cancer deaths in 2022—a disproportionate burden given that China represents about 18% of the global population.

26 Aug 2026

Exposure to drought during pregnancy associated with higher risk of preterm birth

Climate change is making droughts more frequent, prolonged, and intense in many regions of the world, increasing the need to understand their effects on health.

25 Aug 2026

New EAACI guidelines for effective allergy management

Allergic rhinitis and asthma are among the most common chronic diseases today, affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

24 Aug 2026

London's Ultra Low Emission Zone delivers measurable lung health benefits for children

A landmark study of more than 3,400 children, led by Queen Mary University of London, has found that air quality improvements following the introduction of London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) are strongly associated with accelerated lung growth in children.

18 Aug 2026

Rising wildfire smoke in the US offsets improvements in prenatal health

Wildfires are well-known health risks. Now, in a new Frontiers in Environmental Health study, researchers in the US have – for the first time – evaluated how prenatal PM2.5 exposure has changed over space and time on a national scale, and what role wildfires play in shaping these trends.

7 Aug 2026

Fine particle pollution raises rheumatoid arthritis flare risk and disease activity

Higher ambient PM2.5 exposure was associated with increased rheumatoid arthritis disease activity and a greater likelihood of flares in a four-year South Korean cohort of 1,070 patients. The association appeared stronger with sustained exposure over approximately two weeks or longer, while women and nonsmokers showed more pronounced links between PM2.5 and DAS28-CRP.

7 Aug 2026