Air Pollution News and Research

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Is air pollution a risk factor for COVID-19 infection?

The COVID-19 pandemic began at the very end of 2019 in Wuhan city, Hubei province, China. However, its spread soon began to threaten the health of the whole country and then of the world, leading to nearly 5.7 million cases and over 355,000 dead as of today. A new study, published on the preprint server medRxiv* in May 2020, explores the effects of air pollution on COVID-19 infections in China.

27 May 2020

New initiative to address multiple environmental crises beyond COVID-19

The unfolding SARS-CoV-2 (COVID) pandemic is drastically altering the human-nature relationship. It is affecting global environmental issues in complex ways while the overall picture still remains unclear.

27 May 2020

Researchers discover ear infections in the remains of ancient humans living in Levant

Researchers at Tel Aviv University have discovered evidence of ear infections in the skull remains of humans living in the Levant some 15,000 years ago.

26 May 2020

Preterm birth rates during COVID-19 in Denmark

The current COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic in March 2020 by the World Health Organization (WHO). This led to the enforcement of a lockdown on an almost global scale with wide-ranging consequences. Now, a new Danish study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in May 2020 reveals the impact on preterm birth rates.

26 May 2020

Quarantine improves air quality, prevents premature deaths in China

Soon after coronavirus appeared, an all-encompassing quarantine put into effect by the Chinese government slowed the spread of the disease and saved lives, but the quarantine also produced another unanticipated health benefit.

20 May 2020

UCLA study shows link between diesel exhaust and risk of Parkinson's

A new UCLA study in zebrafish has identified the process by which air pollution can damage brain cells, potentially contributing to Parkinson's disease.

20 May 2020

Retrofitted VW diesel engines emit less harmful nitrogen oxides

The VW diesel scandal began with a bang on September 18, 2015. On exactly the opening day of the Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published its "Notice of Violation": VW diesel engines with 1.6 and 2.0 liters displacement (type code EA 189) contained illegal software designed to manipulate emissions.

20 May 2020

Chemicals found in consumer products could contribute to onset of lipid-related diseases

Chemical compounds found in many consumer products could be major contributors to the onset of lipid-related diseases, such as obesity, in humans, according to a Baylor University study.

19 May 2020

Researchers study the geography of childhood cancer in Switzerland

While cancer is rare in children, it is, nevertheless, the second most common cause of death during childhood in Switzerland and other European countries.

14 May 2020

Exposure to fine particulate matter can increase mortality in young patients with certain cancers

An analysis of nearly 16,000 young patients with cancer in Utah revealed that exposure to fine particulate matter was associated with increased mortality at five and 10 years after diagnosis of certain cancers.

13 May 2020

Global air quality has significantly improved due to COVID-19 lockdowns

Levels of two major air pollutants have been drastically reduced since lockdowns began in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but a secondary pollutant - ground-level ozone - has increased in China, according to new research.

11 May 2020

Urbanization in India may be associated with increase in cardiometabolic risk factors

Although the health benefits of green space are supported by a growing body of evidence, few studies on this topic have been carried out in low- and middle-income countries.

11 May 2020

Reproduction number and herd immunity in COVID-19

A new modeling study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in May 2020 hypothesizes that the asymptomatic cases in the ongoing pandemic in Japan may far outnumber the symptomatic infections by several orders of magnitude. This has implications for future predictions and public health policies.

10 May 2020

Study shows how air pollution makes COVID-19 mortality worse for marginalized populations

As scientists worldwide race to gather data about the novel coronavirus, one of the more surprising findings has been detecting the virus attached to fine particles of air pollution.

8 May 2020

Air pollution associated with greater virulence of COVID-19

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in April 2020 provides convincing evidence that air pollution contributes to greater severity of COVID-19. The researchers say, “This suggests the detrimental impact climate change will have on the trajectory of future respiratory epidemics.”

6 May 2020

COVID-19 and exposure to air pollution

A scientist from the Netherlands has worked on a study that looked at the association between COVID-19 infections and exposure to air pollution. Researcher Bo Pieter Johannes Andrée’s study titled “Incidence of COVID-19 and Connections with Air Pollution Exposure Evidence from the Netherlands” was released prior to the peer review process on the online server Medrxiv.

5 May 2020