air pollution

EPA Science Panel Considering Guidelines That Upend Basic Air Pollution Science

9:06pm March 28, 2019

by Rebecca Hersher

Some panel members said they don't agree that breathing sooty air can cause premature death. The panel's draft recommendations to the EPA would change how it assesses the dangers of air pollution.

Thailand's Pollution Control Department declared air quality in the the Thai capital unhealthy, leading to the closure of 400 public schools through the end of the week.

Thai Officials Close Schools As Toxic Air Pollution Chokes Bangkok

9:02pm January 30, 2019

by Vanessa Romo

Fine particulate matter floating through the murky haze that hangs over the city has reached harmful levels, leading the government to shutter more than 400 public schools.

Smog hits Beijing on December 1. A new report presents evidence of cleaner air, but environmental observers are worried about levels of pollution this winter.

Health & Safety

The Good News (And Not So Good News) About China's Smoggy Air

11:37am December 18, 2018

by Katrina Yu

According to a new report, China's war against air pollution shows promising results. But there is evidence of backsliding as winter nears.

NPR producer Furkan Latif Khan doesn't like to leave her home in New Delhi without her breathing mask — although one doctor told her it might not help all that much.

What It's Like To Breathe Some Of The Most Polluted Air In The World

11:00am November 25, 2018

by Furkan Latif Khan

In New Delhi, the air has a dusty, burnt taste, says NPR's Furkan Latif Khan. And sometimes the air is so bad she wears a face mask.

University of Oregon scientists used real dust from inside homes around Portland to test the effects of sunlight, UV light and darkness on bacteria found in the dust.

Grandma Was Right: Sunshine Helps Kill Germs Indoors

4:29pm October 18, 2018

by Kathleen O'Neil

All kinds of bacteria live with us indoors, and some can make us sick. A new study shows that rooms exposed to light had about half the live bacteria found in rooms that were kept in darkness.

A thick layer of smoke from the Carr Fire settles over California's Central Valley in a view from a jet earlier this summer. Fine particulate matter from drifting wildfire smoke mixes with industrial ozone and can become trapped between the mountain range

Noxious Mix of Smoke And Pollution Stresses Health In California's Heartland

5:06pm August 31, 2018

by Ana B. Ibarra

Low-income residents living near highways and agricultural and industrial zones are getting hit with a "double whammy" as wildfire smoke drifts to areas where the air is often polluted already.

Smoke rises above the skyline of Beijing on a moderately polluted day in 2017.

Air Pollution Exposure Harms Cognitive Performance, Study Finds

9:06pm August 27, 2018

by Merrit Kennedy

The researchers tested more than 25,000 people multiple times, matching the results with pollution data from the time of each test. Older adults were most affected by air quality.

Resident Moe Blythe watches the Holy Fire burn near homes on August 9, 2018 in Corona, California.

In Parts Of California Blanketed With Wildfire Smoke, Breathing Is 'A Chore'

8:42pm August 10, 2018

As fires continue to rage in California, smoke is causing health problems for some residents. Public health officials warn against breathing polluted air.

A road sign on Hamburg's Max-Brauer-Allee warns motorists that older diesel vehicles are banned from using this stretch of road. Hamburg is the first German city to ban older diesel vehicles.

World News

Could A Diesel Ban In Hamburg, Germany, Cause More Pollution? Some Residents Worry

12:38pm May 31, 2018

by Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson

The partial ban went into effect Thursday. Many Germans question whether the ban is an environmental milestone or a political shell game that could end up creating more pollution.

Queue Listen Now

Residue from tobacco smoke can end up in indoor air even in nonsmoking spaces.

Tobacco Smoke Residue Can Become Airborne Again Indoors

3:20pm May 09, 2018

by Dana Bate

Researchers have found that residue stuck on smokers' clothes, furniture or other surfaces can become airborne and pollute indoor air.