air quality

Air pollution still plagues nearly half of Americans. That does a number on our health

5:56pm April 23, 2025

Despite improvements in air quality in past decades, 156 million Americans still breathe in too much soot or ozone, says the annual State of the Air report from the American Lung Association.

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Is the air quality index actually useful right now?

7:00am January 18, 2025

The air has improved in the LA region as firefighters get blazes under control, but there are questions about how safe the air actually is.

Smoke from a westerly wildfire creates a haze over Pilot Mountain in 2021. AP/GERRY BROOME

North Carolina close to compliance with new federal air quality regulations

2:42pm August 20, 2024

by Santiago Ochoa

North Carolina has two years to meet new Environmental Protection Agency regulations regarding fine particulate matter.

A pedestrian walks along the roadside amid heavy smoggy conditions in New Delhi. Delhi is considered the world's most polluted megacity, with a melange of factory and vehicle emissions exacerbated by seasonal agricultural fires.

Can anything stop the toxic smog of New Delhi?

4:03pm December 05, 2023

It's, considered the world's most polluted megacity. The air is so bad that a new report estimates that on average each resident loses 12 years of life. Here's what they're doing about it.

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Commuters make their way down a smoggy road in Lahore, Pakistan in 2022. Extreme heat waves make air pollution, like smog, worse.

Extreme heat makes air quality worse–that's bad for health

7:45pm September 06, 2023

by Alejandra Borunda

Air quality around the world suffered in 2022 because of climate-induced extreme heat, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Association.

The Statue of Liberty is seen June 7 through a haze-filled sky from the Staten Island Ferry in New York. The smoke from Canadian wildfires that drifted into the U.S. led to a spike in people with asthma visiting emergency rooms — particularly in the New York area.

Smoke from Canadian wildfires sent more asthma sufferers to the emergency room

12:10pm August 25, 2023

by The Associated Press

Centers for Disease Control studies increased asthma-related ER visits by 17% nationwide during 19 of the smokiest days. On the worst air quality day in New York state, those visits spiked 82%.

Poor indoor air quality can contribute to health problems. Letting in fresh air, keeping air filters changed and using air purifiers can help.

Indoor pollution can make you sick. Here's how to keep your home's air clean

11:37am August 18, 2023

by Ari Daniel

Poor air quality can drive you indoors, but do you know what you're breathing inside your home? Here's the latest on optimizing ventilation and other air-clearing strategies.

A man stands next to an air quality monitoring station behind a chain link fence

Environment

In a summer defined by smoke, how one NC county forecasts air quality

2:59pm August 02, 2023

by April Laissle

For the team of people working to forecast air quality at the Forsyth County Office of Environmental Assistance and Protection, this summer has been a wildcard. Smoke from the Canadian wildfires brought more back-to-back poor air quality days than the area has seen in years. The county has been at an advantage though: It’s one of only three in the state to operate its own air quality monitoring stations and it's the only one that issues its own daily forecasts.

Canada's smoke blanketed the Midwest less than three weeks ago.

Minnesota and Wisconsin issue air quality alerts amid a new round of Canada smoke

12:31pm July 15, 2023

by Juliana Kim

Parts of the Midwest are seeing unhealthy air quality this weekend, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Montana and the Dakotas. It can be most dangerous for kids, older people and other sensitive groups.

Fireworks burst on the National Mall above the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument and U.S. Capitol on July 4, 2022.

9 fun conversation starters for your Fourth of July

5:23am July 04, 2023

by Leigh Walden

The Fourth of July is a big day for fireworks, parades and neighborhood cookouts. Here are some Independence Day-themed facts to share with friends, family and neighbors at that BBQ.