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.
While the dangers of secondhand smoke are widely recognized, a new study led by Prof. Sun Yele at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has uncovered a more persistent and stealthy hazard ...
Environment
Dec 22, 2025
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A research team affiliated with UNIST has unveiled an integrated air pollution analysis framework that enables more precise assessment of exposure risks from carcinogenic air pollutants commonly emitted from industrial complexes. ...
Environment
Dec 18, 2025
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Across the western U.S., wildfires and the dangerous smoke that results have increased in frequency and intensity since the 1990s—that much is clear. Surprisingly less clear are the exact reasons why: While greenhouse gas-related ...
Earth Sciences
Dec 16, 2025
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Air pollution is the latest environmental crisis causing havoc across Iran. Large parts of the country are already suffering from a drought, one of the worst in decades. Its wetlands are dry, and its land is subsiding at ...
Environment
Dec 15, 2025
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Escalating pollution and contamination of water and soil are emerging as serious threats to plant growth and its overall health. Plants are exposed to environmental pollutants for extended periods and exhibit changes in their ...
Plants & Animals
Dec 15, 2025
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28
A new study shows that traffic-related pollution in a major urban area in central Israel produces immediate, measurable changes in the atmospheric electric field, while particulate matter creates slower, delayed effects. ...
Environment
Dec 15, 2025
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In November 2025, Lahore, the second-largest city in Pakistan, registered a "hazardous" air quality index of 509, according to IQAir, a global air quality monitoring organization. The number speaks for itself. Eyes sting, ...
Environment
Dec 11, 2025
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In 2023, Canada's worst wildfire season on record produced so much smoke that it spilled across national borders into the United States. At times, a thick haze enveloped much of the U.S. East Coast and triggered "Code Purple" ...
Environment
Dec 9, 2025
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Many organizations are taking actions to shrink their carbon footprint, such as purchasing electricity from renewable sources or reducing air travel. Both actions would cut greenhouse gas emissions, but which offers greater ...
Environment
Dec 8, 2025
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23
Exhaust gases are no longer the most important emission factor from motor vehicles by far when it comes to particulate matter. This is shown by a large-scale study carried out by Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) for ...
Environment
Dec 2, 2025
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