DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

As of last week, nowhere else on the planet has air so hazardous to human health, according to global air quality monitors. By evening it feels like I am lifeless.”Deepak Rajak, whose asthma has worsened in recent weeks, visits a pollution clinic in New Delhi. Anushree Fadnavis/ReutersCommuters step out in a foggy winter morning amid rising air pollution, on November 19, 2024 in Greater Noida, India. But analysts say governments are focusing more on the emergency response rather than sustained efforts to improve air quality. While stubble burning during the winter harvest season exacerbates pollution levels, to solve the crisis, pollution needs to be tackled year-round, Dahiya said.

Persons: Deepak Rajak, Rajak, ”, Ram Manohar Lohiya, It’s, Atishi, that’s, CNN Rajak, Kajal Rajak, they’re, ” Kajal, “, Vipin Kumar, Anushree Fadnavis, Sunil Ghosh, Mohammad Ibrahim, ” Ibrahim, Ibrahim can’t, Aditya Kumar Shukla, Delhi’s Batra, Shukla, Amit Jindal, Jindal, Gaurav Jain, Batra, Manish Swarup, Ajay Aggarwal, Sunil Dahiya, Dahiya, ” Dahiya Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN, CNN, World Health Organization, Indian Ministry of Forest Environment, Hindustan Times, Getty, Indian Air Force, ”, Clean Air Program Locations: New Delhi, Delhi, Greater Noida, India

☆ Toxic smog in Pakistan is so bad you can see it from space
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-11 | by ( Helen Regan | Sophia Saifi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Record-breaking levels of thick, toxic smog that have shrouded eastern Pakistan and northern India since last month can be seen in striking satellite imagery. Air quality worsens in the winter because colder and drier air traps pollution, rather than lifting it away, as warm air does when it rises. Satellite imagery from NASA Worldview shows Pakistan’s Punjab province and parts of northwest India on August 31, 2024. NASA Worldview/CNN Satellite imagery from NASA Worldview shows heavy smog over Pakistan’s Punjab province and parts of northwest India on November 10, 2024. Meanwhile, WHO says 6.7 million people die annually from the combined effects of ambient and household air pollution.

Persons: Arif Ali, Sajid Bashir, Khuram, Raja Jahangir Anwar Organizations: CNN, NASA, World Health, Associated Press, Getty, Traders, Protection Agency, ”, EPA, Environment, WHO Locations: Pakistan, India, Punjab, New Delhi, Lahore, Multan, Pakistan’s, AFP, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, “

☆ Thick smog chokes northern India and eastern Pakistan ahead of Diwali
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-28 | by ( Lex Harvey | Noemi Cassanelli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Thick, toxic smog has once again enveloped northern India and eastern Pakistan just days before the start of Diwali, a Hindu festival typically celebrated with fireworks that each year sends air quality plummeting. Schoolgirls wearing masks ride a motorcycle as they leave school amid a rise in smog levels in Lahore, Pakistan on October 25, 2024. India’s air pollution has been found to be so bad, that experts have warned smog could take years off the lives of hundreds of millions of people. Delhi had banned the use and sale of firecrackers ahead of Diwali, but the policy has been difficult to implement. Arvind Yadav/Hindustan Times/Getty ImagesSome Indian cities have seen improvements in their air quality, according to government data, but progress has been slow.

Persons: Arif Ali, Sanchit Khanna, Arvind Yadav, ’ ” Jyoti Pande Lavakare Organizations: CNN, Getty, India’s, Hindustan Times, Air Locations: India, Pakistan, Delhi, Pakistani, Lahore, AFP, Punjab, Haryana, New Delhi, New

☆ How Wildfire Smoke Threatens Human Health
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-28 | by ( Jane C. Hu | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

This could explain some of the health effects researchers have linked to wildfire smoke, including heart conditions, infertility and dementia. There are huge variations in how healthy people are before smoke exposure, how much smoke they are exposed to and what’s in that smoke. One metric of wildfire smoke pollution is the air-quality index, which measures five pollutants on a scale of 0 to 500. Researchers are just beginning to study how different levels of air pollution might affect health by tracking the outcomes of wildfire survivors over time. There aren’t clear answers on when, exactly, you should avoid smoke exposure outdoors, but public health officials often issue health warnings when the A.Q.I.

Persons: Luke Montrose, Montrose, Carlos Gould, ” Dr, don’t, “ There’s, ”, Stephanie Cleland, Gould, Cleland Organizations: Colorado State University, University of California, University of Montana, Research, Simon Fraser University Locations: San Diego, United States

☆ Long-term exposure to wildfire smoke linked to increased risk of dementia diagnosis, new study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-29 | by ( Maya Davis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The researchers measured the impact of PM2.5 - air pollution particles that are 2.5 microns or smaller in diameter – from wildfire smoke as well as other sources, such as motor vehicles and factories. The research also indicates that associations between wildfire smoke and dementia diagnoses are most pronounced among people from racially and ethnically minoritized groups and in high-poverty areas. What you can doIndividuals can protect themselves from air pollution, including wildfire smoke, by staying indoors on poor air quality days. Home air filtration systems, including box fan air circulation, can also significantly improve indoor air quality, she said. “Our paper underscores that [wildfire smoke] is potentially an important one for individual patients and their providers who are who are curious what steps they can take.”

Persons: ”, Holly Elser, Maria Carrillo, they’ll, ” Elser, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Carillo, there’s Organizations: CNN, International Conference, University of Pennsylvania, Alzheimer’s Association, Western, Get CNN, CNN Health Locations: Southern California, California, Canada, Greece, Western United States, Hawaii

☆ The 15 cities in the US with the worst air quality, ranked
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

IQAir's air quality report ranked the world's most and least polluted areas. The report revealed 92.5% of countries and only 9% of cities met WHO's PM2.5 guidelines in 2023. AdvertisementSwiss company IQAir ranked the most and least polluted countries and cities in the world in a recent air quality report. And only 9% of cities surveyed achieved WHO's guidelines of acceptable PM2.5 levels in 2023. Meanwhile, cities in California, Georgia, and Iowa were named the most polluted, as shown in the below ranking.

Persons: WHO's, —, IQAir Organizations: Service, Business Locations: California , Georgia, Iowa, Swiss, Arizona , Nevada, Colorado

Shark NeverChange Air Purifier Max The Shark NeverChange Air Purifier Max is a powerful air-cleaning machine for large spaces, and the best part is that you only need to change its filter every five years. Camryn Rabideau/Business InsiderThe Shark NeverChange Air Purifier Max took less than 5 minutes to unbox and get running. Our review of the Shark NeverChange™ Air Purifier MAXAdvertisementEase of UseThe air purifier’s display screen shows the real-time air quality in your home. AdvertisementThe bottom lineFor large spaces, the Shark NeverChange Air Purifier Max is worth the investment. Camryn Rabideau/Business InsiderThe Shark NeverChange Air Purifier Max is a worthwhile option that requires minimal maintenance and covers large rooms.

Persons: Max, Camryn, Philip M, Tierno Jr, Tierno, it's, There's Organizations: Business, Shop, Energy, Stratos, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Medical, Honeywell

☆ 15 cities in the US with the cleanest air, and how much houses cost there
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Business Insider has compiled the top 15 US cities with the cleanest air based on IQAir data. BI cross-referenced the data with house price data to identify places that are both cheap at clean. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Swiss company IQAir recently released its annual air quality report, ranking the most and least polluted countries and cities in the world. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: —, IQAir Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Arizona , Nevada, Colorado, Swiss

☆ Recessions Actually Make People Live Longer
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Aki Ito | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Recessions, it would seem, help us stay fitter, and live longer. The new paper, along with other research into recessions, provides an important reminder that economic growth isn't — and shouldn't be — the only measure of our collective well-being. If recessions save lives, that comes with a corollary: Boom times cost lives. Sure, economic growth provides jobs. If the new research tells us anything, it's that we still have a long way to go in striking a healthy balance between economic growth and social welfare.

Persons: grads, Amy Finkelstein, didn't, that's, Aki Ito Organizations: Business Locations: Japan, San Francisco

☆ One Thing Most Countries Have in Common: Unsafe Air
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Delger Erdenesanaa | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Only 10 countries and territories out of 134 achieved the World Health Organization’s standards for a pervasive form of air pollution last year, according to air quality data compiled by IQAir, a Swiss company. The pollution studied is called fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, because it refers to solid particles less than 2.5 micrometers in size: small enough to enter the bloodstream. PM2.5 is the deadliest form of air pollution, leading to millions of premature deaths each year. “Air pollution and climate change both have the same culprit, which is fossil fuels,” said Glory Dolphin Hammes, the CEO of IQAir’s North American division. The World Health Organization sets a guideline that people shouldn’t breathe more than 5 micrograms of fine particulate matter per cubic meter of air, on average, throughout a year.

Persons: IQAir, ” Organizations: Health, IQAir’s North, World Health Organization, Environmental Protection Agency Locations: Swiss, U.S

☆ Only Iceland, Finland, and 5 other countries had clean enough air to meet a global safety standard: data
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The 2023 World Air Quality Report showed that only a few countries have acceptable air quality. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementHardly any countries have clean enough air to hit a global safety benchmark, according to new research. The only seven countries deemed acceptable were Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius, Australia, and New Zealand. Advertisement"The science is pretty clear about the impacts of air pollution and yet we are so accustomed to having a background level of pollution that's too high to be healthy.

Persons: —, IQAir, Marco Bottigelli, Hammes, David Dee Delgado Organizations: Service, World Health Organization, Guardian, Chrysler, Getty, Las Locations: Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Canada, North America, Swiss, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius, Australia, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, French Polynesia, Southern Iceland, Northern America, West, New York City, Helinski, Tallinn, Hamilton, Bermuda, Reykjavik, Canberra, Wellington, San Juan ( Puerto Rico, Columbus , Ohio, Las Vegas

☆ World’s worst polluted cities are in Asia - India’s Begusarai topping IQAir report
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“We see that in every part of our lives that air pollution has an impact,” said IQAir Global CEO Frank Hammes. “And it typically, in some of the most polluted countries, is likely shaving off anywhere between three to six years of people’s lives. Central and South Asia were the worst performing regions globally, home to all four of the most polluted countries last year: Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Tajikistan. South Asia is of particular concern, with 29 of the 30 most polluted cities in India, Pakistan or Bangladesh. One bright spot is increasing pressure and civic engagement from communities, NGOs, companies, and scientists to monitor air quality.

Persons: ”, Frank Hammes, Hammes, “ What’s, IQAir, Chiang Mai, that’s, ” Hammes Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Health, IQAir, WHO, Dhaka, CNN, America, Reuters Locations: Hong Kong, Asia, India, India’s Bihar, Guwahati, Assam, Delhi, Mullanpur, Punjab, South Asia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Lahore, New Delhi, Finland, Estonia, Puerto Rico, Australia, New Zealand, Bermuda, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius, French Polynesia, Canada, Alberta, United States, Minneapolis, Detroit, Columbus , Ohio, Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles, China, Beijing, Hotan, Southeast Asia, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Bangkok, Africa, South America, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Chad

☆ Almost 400,000 deaths in Europe in 2021 attributable to filthy air -EU report
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Pollution from nitrogen dioxide (NO2), most harmful to people with diabetes, resulted in 52,000 deaths and short-term ozone (O3) exposure led to 22,000 deaths. Including a larger set of European countries outside the EU, there were 389,000 pollutant-related deaths in Europe, the EEA said in its report for 2021, released on Friday. "Air pollutant concentrations in 2021 remained well above the levels recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) in its air quality guidelines," the EEA said in the report. "Reducing air pollution to these guideline levels would prevent a significant number of attributable deaths in EU member states." NO2 and short-term O3 exposure had the biggest impact on deaths in Turkey, Italy and Germany, according to the report.

Persons: Flavio Lo Scalzo, Piotr Lipinski, Susan Fenton Organizations: Allianz, REUTERS, Rights, World Health, European Environment Agency, European Union, World Health Organization, WHO, Thomson Locations: Milan, Italy, Rights BRUSSELS, Europe, PM2.5, Poland, Germany, Iceland, Scandinavia, Estonia, Turkey

☆ Indian capital resumes some activities despite hazardous air, river foam
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Kanjyik Ghosh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Nov 20 (Reuters) - India's capital Delhi re-opened schools and some building sites on Monday amid signs of receding air pollution, although it remained classified as hazardous, while a toxic foam besmirched stretches of the Yamuna river flowing through the city. The world's most polluted capital resumed its annual battle on pollution this month, despite government pledges to improve. Monday's air quality index (AQI) of 336 was down from Thursday's level of 509, but still "hazardous", Swiss group IQAir said. Delhi's air pollution gets worse in winter, when wind speeds drop and cooling air traps pollutants spewed by vehicles, industry and farmers burning agricultural waste in surrounding states to prepare for new planting. PM2.5 levels remained above 128 micrograms per cubic meter of air since Sunday in the National Capital Region, according to the federal pollution control board.

Persons: Anushree, IQAir, Ankit Srivastava, Gopal Rai, Kanjyik Ghosh, Shivam Patel, Clarence Fernandez, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, Delhi's, Vehicles, National Capital, World Health Organization, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, DELHI, Delhi, Mumbai

☆ New Delhi air pollution: Why can’t India’s capital clean up its toxic air like Beijing?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“It’s an invisible killer,” said Jyoti Pande Lavakare, author of “Breathing Here is Injurious to Your Health: The Human Cost of Air Pollution” and co-founder of clean air non-profit Care for Air. China’s capital has since cleaned up its act, which begs the question: if Beijing can clean up its toxic air, why can’t India too? A key moment in China’s fightback came in 2013, when the government started to invest billions of dollars into a national air pollution action plan. Hundreds of thousands of lives savedChina’s raft of clean air policies have been so successful, they have saved hundreds of thousands of lives, research has shown. They say Kejriwal’s team has done little in terms of implementing effective policies to clean New Delhi’s air.

Persons: “, ”, Jyoti Pande Lavakare, Arun Sankar, China’s, –, Wang Zhao, China’s fightback, Frank Christian Hammes, IQAir, Sunil Dahiya, Dahiya, Stringer, Arvind Kejriwal, Kejriwal, Virendra Sachdeva, Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sudhanshu Dhulia, Raj K Raj, “ You’re Organizations: CNN, Health, Pollution, Air, Getty, United, Global, Energy, Institute, University of Chicago, Centre for Research, Clean, Bloomberg, Beijing, Care for Air, Aam Aadmi Party, Bharatiya Janata Party, AAP, Ministry of Environment, Hindustan Times Locations: Delhi, Beijing, India, ”, AFP, United States, China, Swiss, New Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, New, Indonesia, Malaysia, Care, CREA, IQAir

☆ Smoky skies in Indian capital on Diwali as revellers defy firecracker ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Neha Arora | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Smoke plumes were visible across the sky as revellers let off firecrackers in the evening to mark the country's biggest festival. Every year government authorities or India's Supreme Court impose bans on firecrackers - but only rarely do those bans appear to be enforced. Globally, air pollution was the worst in India's eastern city of Kolkata, while Delhi was the fifth-most polluted, according to Swiss group IQAir. Doctors say the air quality is likely to worsen on Monday as smoke from firecrackers lingers in the air, potentially causing itchy eyes and irritation in the throat. Some Hindus resent the Diwali firecracker bans, which they see as an attempt to interfere with them observing their religious festivals.

Persons: Health Organization's, Deepak, Dr, Ram Manohar, Gopal Rai, Neha Arora, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Health, Ram Manohar Lohia, Delhi's, Thomson Locations: DELHI, New Delhi, Kolkata, Delhi, Swiss

☆ Pakistan’s Lahore is the latest megacity to shut down as pollution chokes swathes of South Asia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Lahore has become the latest megacity to shut down as pollution chokes swathes of South Asia, where nearly 50 million people have been breathing toxic air for nearly a week. Commuters make their way through a busy street amid smoggy conditions in Lahore on November 7, 2023. The PM2.5 levels in all these cities far exceed the World Health Organization’s limit and illustrate a growing concern for South Asian countries as they experience rapid industrializations and population booms that are fueling pollution levels. Commuters make their way along the Signature Bridge amid heavy smog conditions in New Delhi on November 9, 2023. The study also found that every single one of India’s 1.4 billion residents endures annual average pollution levels that exceed guidelines set by the World Health Organization.

Persons: Mohsin Naqvi, Arif Ali, Arun Sankar Organizations: CNN, Authorities, Lahore –, Getty, Getty Images Dhaka, Energy, Institute, University of Chicago, World Health Organization, Doctors Locations: Lahore, South Asia, Swiss, Pakistan’s Punjab, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, AFP, Pakistan, India, New Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, India’s, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangladesh, Delhi

NEW DELHI, Nov 3 (Reuters) - India's capital New Delhi was wrapped in a thick layer of toxic haze on Friday and some schools were ordered closed as the air quality index (AQI) plummeted to the "severe" category. In India, the annual average concentration of particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) in the air is the highest in northern regions. Officials said they saw no immediate improvement in the air quality. Delhi hosts a World Cup match on Monday between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Poor air quality also caused respiratory problems, irritation in the eyes and restlessness in pet animals.

Persons: Aheed Khan, Ashwani Kumar, Prabhat Gangwar, Tanvi Mehta, Rajesh, Blassy Boben, Manoj Kumar, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: joggers, Residents, Officials, Control Committee, Farmers, Health, Friendicoes, Thomson Locations: DELHI, New Delhi, Swiss, Pakistani, Lahore, Delhi, India, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Mumbai, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka

Particle pollution is a “key ingredient” of wildfire smoke, Barrett told CNN. “Sometimes we can see, smell, and even taste the impacts of wildfire smoke,” Barrett said. Mountain ranges can shield some regions from worse air pollution by keeping smoke aloft when it travels, Mass said. Pittsburgh - June 29, 2023An MLB game between the San Diego Padres and Pittsburgh Pirates is delayed as Canadian wildfire smoke descends on downtown Pittsburgh. San Francisco - Sept. 9, 2020Smoke from northern California wildfires casts a reddish glow in San Francisco, California.

Persons: ”, William Barrett, Barrett, ” Barrett, Clifford, Talat Odman, Mass, “ It’s, “ You’re, Lev Radin, Scott Olson, Kevork, Joe Robbins, San Diego Padres, Andrew McCutchen, Carr, George Rose, Ray Chavez, David Zalubowski Organizations: CNN, American Lung Association, University of Washington, Georgia Institute of Technology, Washington DC, ” CNN, Pacific Press, York City, MLB, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego, Pirates, MediaNews, Mercury, Environmental Protection Agency Denver, Denver International Airport, Denver Locations: Canada, United States, Northern Europe, New York City, York City, Chicago, Irvine, Santiago, Irvine , California, California, Santa, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Sacramento, Sacramento , California, Shasta County , California, San Francisco, San Francisco , California, San Francisco Bay

☆ Asia, Africa bear brunt of pollution health burden - research
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSINGAPORE, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Despite improvements in China, air pollution across the globe continues to pose the greatest external risk to human health, with countries in Asia and Africa suffering most of the impact, new research showed on Tuesday. PM2.5 in South Asia has risen by nearly 10% since 2013, she said, cutting average life expectancy in the region by around five years. Virtually all of Southeast Asia is also now considered to have "unsafe levels of pollution", with average life expectancy cut by 2-3 years. China's average PM2.5 concentrations stood at 29 micrograms per cubic metre in 2022, but it still remains significantly higher than the WHO recommendation of 5 micrograms. "We haven't turned the corner on air pollution yet, though China's example shows us that the issue is a tractable one," Hasenkopf said.

Persons: Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Christa Hasenkopf, haven't, Hasenkopf, David Stanway, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, University of Chicago's Energy Policy Institute, EPIC, World Health Organization, WHO, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Asia, Africa, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Indonesia, South Asia, Southeast Asia

☆ Living with air pollution, especially from wildfires or agriculture, raises risk of dementia, US study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The study authors said it’s the first nationally representative study of the potential effects of particle pollution on dementia in the US, and the link to dementia was most robust in areas with pollution from agriculture and wildfires. Pesticides are neurotoxins to animals, she said, so those may be the particles in agriculture pollution that are affecting human brains, as well. As for wildfires, the smoke doesn’t just come from burning trees; things like homes and gas stations burn too, becoming the particle pollution that people breathe in. The new study cannot determine the exact mechanism connecting particle pollution and dementia, but scientists have some theories. A study in England found that adults living with the highest annual concentration of air pollution had 1.4 times the dementia risk as those living with the lowest annual concentration.

Persons: it’s, ”, Sara Dubowsky Adar, Boya Zhang, Adar, Caleb Finch, William F, It’s, Masashi Kitazawa, Kitazawa, ” Kitazawa, Finch, Zhang, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, ” Zhang, “ Organizations: CNN, US Environmental Protection Agency, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Pesticides, ARCO, William, Kieschnick, University of Southern, World Health, Alzheimer’s Association, University of California, Alzheimer’s, CNN Health, World Health Organization Locations: United States, University of Southern California, Irvine, Canada, England, California

☆ The risks posed by July Fourth fireworks
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Polluting airAfter the explosion, fireworks release compounds that affect air quality and the environment. Sulfur dioxidecan cause respiratory problems. Passing to PeopleThe most harmful elements in fireworks are perchlorate, an oxidizer used for propulsion, and various heavy metals. Affecting wildlifeDebris such as shells and heavy metals can be accidentally ingested by animals. Eco-friendly fireworksFireworks without perchlorate or that have lower levels of heavy metals are gradually being adopted and developed.

Organizations: Research Locations: Minneapolis, Salt Lake City

CNN —Over 80 million people from the Midwest to the East Coast are under air quality alerts as smoke from the Canadian wildfires sweep across the US border Tuesday, prompting beach closures, warnings about reduced visibility and calls to stay indoors. Chicago and Detroit had the worst air quality in the world Tuesday night. Detroit’s air at one point reached a “very unhealthy”Air Quality Index of 203, before dropping below 200 to the “unhealthy” level, according to IQAir. Chicago registered an Air Quality Index of 175 late Tuesday. “The most protective option when air is unhealthy for you is to stay indoors with air conditioning, reduce strenuous activities and limit outdoor activities.

Persons: Copernicus, –, “, Kathy Hochul Organizations: CNN, Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, National Weather Service, . Chicago, Chicago Public Schools, Facebook, Drivers, Mackinac Bridge Authority, Michigan Department of Health, Human Services, Indianapolis, ., New, ”, New York State, Coordinating Agency, Centers for Disease Control Locations: Midwest, East, Canada, Iowa , Wisconsin , Illinois , Indiana , Michigan, Delaware, Maryland, Kansas , Missouri, Minnesota , Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, Chicago, Detroit, IQAir, Evanston , Illinois, Michigan, Mackinac, . New York, New York City, New, ” In Ohio, NY, Cleveland, Ohio

☆ The risk of being bitten by a dog is higher on hot, sunny, and smoggy days, new research suggests
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A new study from Harvard analyzed almost 70,000 reports of dogs biting humans in the US. The study showed that incidents of dogs biting humans increased in line with rising temperatures. It also increased with higher UV levels and on days when certain types of pollution were high. The research, led by Harvard Medical School scholars, found there were more reports of dog bites on days with higher temperatures, as well as days with higher UV and pollution levels. On days with higher UV, dog bites increased by 11%, and higher temperatures caused a 4% increase.

Persons: — Organizations: Harvard, Service, Harvard Medical School Locations: Dallas, Houston, Baltimore, Baton Rouge , Chicago, Louisville , New York City, Los Angeles

☆ New York is choking on smog. But for these cities, it’s just another day
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Hong Kong CNN —For days, images of New York choking in smoke have stunned the United States, as residents struggle to deal with the unfamiliar challenge of severe air pollution. That means its people are exposed to high levels of fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, a widely used indicator of harmful air pollution. It culminated in the infamous 2013 “air-pocalypse,” when the air quality index hit 755, smashing what was supposed to be the top of the scale at 500, according to the US Embassy in Beijing that kept a daily air quality monitor. In 2021, Beijing recorded its best monthly air quality since records began in 2013; photos now show mostly blue skies in the city. It’s an encouraging sign, and evidence that the right policies and investment can help fix air quality.

Persons: smothers, Andrew Kelly, Sanchit Khanna, Chiang Mai, Nicolas Asfouri, Justin Trudeau, Joe Biden, ”, Lucky Tran Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Rockefeller Center, Reuters, Hindustan Times, Embassy, Canadian, United Nations, East Coasters Locations: Hong Kong, York, United States, Canada, Coast, West Coast, California, Asia, New York, India, New Delhi, Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Beijing, AFP, –, China, It’s, South Carolina, Quebec, Yorkers

Search resuls for: "PM2.5"

25 mentions found