Air quality, as a phenomenon, refers to the physicochemical state of the atmosphere with respect to the presence, concentration, and reactivity of gaseous and particulate constituents, including criteria pollutants (e.g., ozone, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, particulate matter) and numerous hazardous air pollutants. It emerges from dynamic interactions among emission sources, atmospheric transport, dispersion, chemical transformation, and removal processes such as deposition and scavenging. Quantification of air quality relies on continuous or episodic monitoring, expressed through pollutant concentrations and composite indices, and is central to studying atmospheric chemistry, exposure assessment, and the impacts of atmospheric composition on biological, ecological, and material systems.
Smoke from Canada's July wildfires exposed people across Canada and the United States to unhealthy, very unhealthy or hazardous air for nearly 106 million person-days between July 15–17. Over the peak impact period of July ...
Environment
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Taiwan's air has gotten measurably cleaner over the past decade, yet in many towns the hazy, milky-white sky that blurs mountains and city skylines has not cleared at the same pace. A research team led by Prof. Ta-Chih Hsiao ...
Environment
Aug 12, 2026
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The effects of climate change extend far beyond rising temperatures. As forests and other vegetation respond to a warming world, they also change the amount of biogenic emissions released into the atmosphere, influencing ...
Earth Sciences
Aug 5, 2026
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If you're in an urban area with strong winds, chances are you are breathing in more than a little dust. You could be exposed to metals from cars, construction sites or pesticides used decades ago.
Environment
Aug 4, 2026
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Researchers at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and Florida State University's Resilient Infrastructure and Disaster Response Center have identified how hurricane flooding can affect health long after a storm. In research ...
Environment
Jul 29, 2026
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What dangers does smoke from wildfires pose? Who is most at risk? Here are some answers to health questions often asked, especially now with fires in France and Spain.
Environment
Jul 26, 2026
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A new review led by the University of East London (UEL) has uncovered a major blind spot in air pollution research. Despite domestic gardens covering vast areas of Britain's towns and cities, researchers found no direct evidence ...
Environment
Jul 24, 2026
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American adults with college degrees now outlive those without degrees by more than eight years, in part because graduates appear to be more proactive about protecting their health. For example, they smoke cigarettes at far ...
Environment
Jul 23, 2026
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In recent summers, wildfire smoke has been inescapable across Wisconsin, drifting south from Canada and leading to long stretches of poor air quality. Whether that smoke clears or lingers is often influenced in part by the ...
Earth Sciences
Jul 23, 2026
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The eerie glow of an orange sun through thick wildfire smoke might be unnerving, but the biggest risk from the haze is something much harder to see.
Environment
Jul 20, 2026
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