Long-term exposure to air pollution and lack of green spaces significantly increases the risk of hospitalization for respiratory conditions, according to new research presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress in Vienna this week. Researchers from the University of Bergen, Norway, found that even in Northern Europe, where air pollution levels are relatively […] Continue reading ->
Fundamental policy changes aimed at fixing India’s seemingly intractable air pollution health crisis were suggested at the India Clean Air Summit (ICAS) held in Bengaluru recently.  Among the dozens of presentations by air quality scientists and officials, five key elements emerged for policy action that can speed up the reduction of air pollutants. These involve: […] Continue reading ->
New Delhi’s decades-old regime to control vehicular pollution, including a heavy reliance by commercial vehicles on compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel, has been challenged by a new study by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT).  The report upends the narrative the that CNG is a ‘clean’ fuel, pointing to its high level of health-damaging […] Continue reading ->
Humans are ingesting and inhaling more microplastics than at any time in recorded history, a Cornell University study revealed. The research shows microplastic consumption has risen sixfold globally since 1990, with Asian, African, and American countries all experiencing increases. People in China and the United States are among those consuming record levels of tiny plastic […] Continue reading ->
NEW DELHI – On 2 November 2023, extreme air pollution caught Delhi off-guard. It shut down schools and led to flight cancellations, curbs on construction and other emergency responses.  That every little increase in air pollution increases the risk of death has been well-established for some years. But till now the effect of short-term air […] Continue reading ->
A growing body of evidence from India is firmly establishing the country’s toxic levels of air pollution as a leading cause of ill health, particularly non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The results are significant because the country’s politicians have repeatedly questioned the validity of research that links air pollution with reduced life expectancy and worsening health.  As […] Continue reading ->
The fifth State of Global Air report shows air pollution is now the second-leading risk factor for death globally, after high blood pressure. Most of the deaths are from non-communicable diseases (NCD). The report has a silver lining about lives saved which shows how there’s been a large drop in the death rate of children […] Continue reading ->