More than 95% of the world’s population breathe unsafe air and the burden is falling hardest on the poorest communities, with the gap between the most polluted and least polluted countries rising rapidly finds this comprehensive study on global air pollution by the Health Effects Institute

Household cleaners, paints and perfumes have become substantial sources of urban air pollution as strict controls on vehicles have reduced road traffic emissions, scientists say.

Attribution of Antarctic ozone recovery to the Montreal protocol requires evidence that (1) Antarctic chlorine levels are declining and (2) there is a reduction in ozone depletion in response to a chlorine decline. We use Aura Microwave Limb Sounder measurements of O3, HCl, and N2O to demonstrate that inorganic chlorine (Cly) from 2013 to 2016 was 223 ± 93 parts per trillion lower in the Antarctic lower stratosphere than from 2004 to 2007 and that column ozone depletion declined in response.

Increases in the severity and frequency of large fires necessitate improved understanding of the influence of smoke on air quality and public health. The objective of this study is to estimate the effect of smoke from fires across the continental U.S. on regional air quality over an extended period of time.

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Few large multicity studies have been conducted in developing countries to address the acute health effects of atmospheric ozone pollution. The researchers explored the associations between ozone and daily cause-specific mortality in China.

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Poor air quality is one of the leading five health risks worldwide, along with high blood pressure, tobacco smoking, diabetes and being overweight. In 2015, it contributed to nearly 8% of all deaths worldwide. Long-term exposure to polluted air has been linked to respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, heart attack and lung cancer. It is justifiably called ‘passive outdoor smoking’.

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Year 2017 will be one of the three hottest years on record, with many high-impact events, including catastrophic hurricanes and floods, debilitating heat waves and drought, says this provisional statement on the State of the Climate released by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Air pollution is a major risk factor for global health, with 3 million deaths annually being attributed to fine particulate matter ambient pollution (PM2.5). The primary source of information for estimating population exposures to air pollution has been measurements from ground monitoring networks but, although coverage is increasing, regions remain in which monitoring is limited. The data integration model for air quality supplements ground monitoring data with information from other sources, such as satellite retrievals of aerosol optical depth and chemical transport models.

Many studies have reported associations between ozone pollution and morbidity and 18 mortality, but few studies focus on the health and economic effects at China's regional level. This 19 study evaluates the ozone pollution-related health impacts on China's national and provincial 20 economy and compares them with the impacts from PM2.5.

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Most people living in European cities are exposed to poor air quality. Latest estimates by the European Environment Agency (EEA), show that fine particulate matter continues to cause the premature death of more than 400 000 Europeans annually.

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