Air Pollution News and Research

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Fire-driven air pollution is rising worldwide and reversing decades of clean air gains

Global exposure to fire-related fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has increased sharply from 1990 to 2018, despite a decline in overall PM2.5 pollution. This surge has driven tens of thousands of additional deaths annually, especially in Eastern Europe and sub-Saharan Africa.

17 Sep 2025

Study reveals how ozone exerts multi-organ effects by disturbing the lung-liver connection

Ozone pollution is rising worldwide, frequently exceeding safety thresholds in urban centers and industrial regions. Its health risks are well-documented: breathing ozone can worsen asthma, damage airways, and increase the risk of cardiovascular and neurological disorders.

17 Sep 2025

PM2.5 pollution linked to lung cancer shows sharp declines in the U.S. but not in China

The study highlights the need for stronger air quality measures as global lung cancer deaths linked to pollution are projected to rise, especially in China.

16 Sep 2025

Experts warn tiny plastics in arteries may raise heart attack risk

Experts caution that nanoplastics and microplastics may constitute an emerging cardiovascular risk factor, with particles identified in arterial plaques associated with a 4.5-fold increase in major adverse cardiovascular events. Experimental evidence points to inflammation, oxidative stress, and vascular injury as key mechanisms.

10 Sep 2025

Emphysema detected on CT predicts mortality from all causes

Emphysema detected on baseline low-dose chest CT (LDCT) in the lung cancer screening cohort of more than 9,000 asymptomatic adults was associated with death from all causes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cardiovascular disease within a 25-year follow-up period in a new study published today in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America.

10 Sep 2025

Pesticide exposure during pregnancy linked to higher death risk in children with leukemia

Public concern continues to grow about the harmful effects of pesticides and other environmental pollutants, especially for children. Pesticides have previously been linked to a higher risk of developing childhood leukemia.

9 Sep 2025

Researchers reveal why no level of air pollution is safe for respiratory health

A review in the Journal of Clinical Investigation shows how particulate matter damages the lungs through oxidative stress, inflammation, and immune disruption. It links air pollution to asthma, COPD, lung cancer, infections, and millions of premature deaths, with no safe exposure threshold.

9 Sep 2025

Air pollution exposure linked to faster progression of Alzheimer’s disease

Exposure to high concentrations of air pollution may worsen Alzheimer's disease (AD) by accelerating the buildup of toxic proteins in the brain and speeding up cognitive decline.

8 Sep 2025

Study finds possible molecular connection between air pollution and Lewy body dementia risk

A team of researchers found there is a possible molecular connection between air pollution and an increased risk of developing Lewy body dementia.

4 Sep 2025

Metals and sulfate particles drive asthma hospitalizations linked to air pollution

Metals, particularly nickel and vanadium, and sulfate particles are the components of fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) that most strongly contribute to the association between long-term exposure to air pollution and hospitalization among asthma sufferers, according to a new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

29 Aug 2025

Killifish study reveals multi-generational impacts of exposure to crude oil and flame retardants

A tiny fish with transparent embryos is helping University of California, Davis, researchers shed light on how exposure to crude oil and flame retardants can affect behavior, skeletal growth, cardiac health and other internal functions in offspring and subsequent generations.

28 Aug 2025

Study finds major health burden from oil and gas pollution across the United States

Air pollution from oil and gas is causing 91,000 premature deaths and hundreds of thousands of health issues across the United States annually, with Black, Asian, Native American and Hispanic groups consistently the most affected, finds a major new study led by researchers at UCL and the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI).

22 Aug 2025

Urban heat and pollution linked to behavioral changes in children

Individuals living in urban cities are experiencing the combined effect of increasing temperatures and poor air quality, often referred to as the urban heat dome.

22 Aug 2025

How dietary formaldehyde links to worsening diabetes and memory loss

A new review reveals how everyday foods and hidden exposures to formaldehyde may fuel insulin resistance and chip away at memory, but also points to dietary patterns and emerging therapies that could help reduce the risk.

20 Aug 2025

HEPA filtration reduces blood pressure for highway residents

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13 Aug 2025

Air purifiers can lower blood pressure in at-risk adults

Using portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) purifiers at home can significantly lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) in adults with elevated baseline readings — even in areas with relatively low overall air pollution levels, according to a study published today in JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology.

6 Aug 2025

Experts call for a greater focus on health risks of plastic pollution

Plastic pollution is an underrecognized threat to health, experts warn as they launch a project to track plastics' health impacts and monitor progress.

4 Aug 2025

Experts call for stricter rules on plastic to protect human health

With the latest round of negotiations to finalize a United Nations global plastics treaty set to begin, a group of international researchers, writing in the most recent edition of The Lancet, have called for greater vigilance and regulation to curb the health impacts of plastic pollution and have announced a new project to track these impacts.

4 Aug 2025

Greener cities reduce dementia risks linked to air pollution

Boosting greenery may protect against air pollution's impact on dementia, revealing a potential strategy to reduce Alzheimer's disease burden globally.

29 Jul 2025

Long-term air pollution exposure triggers allergic immune responses in the lungs

Air pollution is a global health concern, with over 90% of the world's population breathing air that exceeds World Health Organization safety standards.

23 Jul 2025