A research project led by the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health has found that Los Angeles County neighborhoods with poor air quality had the highest death rates from the pandemic.
Tag: Air Pollution
COVID-19 pandemic highlights the urgent global need to control air pollution
More than 91 percent of the world’s population lives in areas that exceed air quality guidelines recommended by the World Health Organization, and more people are impacted by worsening air quality each year. Ambient air pollution – including potentially harmful pollutants such as small particles and toxic gases emitted by industries, households, cars and trucks – has been shown to worsen viral respiratory infections. Now, new studies are showing a similar association between ambient air pollution and worse COVID-19 outcomes.
COVID-19 Pandemic Highlights the Urgent Global Need to Control Air Pollution
A new commentary published online in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society provides an exhaustive examination of published research that discusses whether air pollution may be linked to worse COVID-19 outcomes. The studies that the authors examined look at several potential disease mechanisms, and also at the relationship between pollution, respiratory viruses and health disparities.
Strict environmental laws ‘push’ firms to pollute elsewhere
Multinational companies headquartered in countries with tougher environmental policies tend to locate their polluting factories in countries with more lax regulations, a new study finds.
How outdoor pollution affects indoor air quality
In a long-term study in a Salt Lake-area building, researchers found that the amount of air pollution that comes indoors depends on the type of outdoor pollution. Wildfires, fireworks and wintertime inversions all affect indoor air to different degrees.
Raising climate ambitions could save millions of lives
Adopting policies that are consistent with achieving the Paris Agreement and prioritize health, could annually save millions of lives due to healthier diets, cleaner air, and increased physical activity.
Pre-COVID Subway Air Polluted from DC to Boston, But New York Region’s Is the Worst, Study Finds
New York City’s transit system exposes riders to more inhaled pollutants than any other metropolitan subway system in the Northeastern United States, a new study finds. Yet even its “cleaner” neighbors struggle with enough toxins to give health-conscious travelers pause.
Study Links Intensive Blood Pressure Lowering to Reduced Cardiovascular Risk in Patients Exposed to High Levels of Air Pollution
In a new study published this week in the journal Hypertension, researchers at University Hospitals (UH) and Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) School of Medicine found intensive BP lowering is effective in reducing cardiovascular risk in patients exposed to high levels of air pollution.
Living near Trees May Prevent Vascular Damage from Pollution
Living near an abundance of green vegetation can offset the negative effects of air pollution on blood vessel health. The first-of-its-kind study is published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology.
EPA Attacks Science and Breaks Precedent in Final Data Transparency Rule
The American Thoracic Society opposes the EPA’s final rule on Data Transparency issued in the waning days of the Trump Administration. The final rule, which is the focus of a press conference today, is a continuation of the Trump Administration’s persistent attack on the science showing the adverse health effects of environmental pollution. This rule would exclude vital scientific data from future EPA decision-making and make patient confidential information more vulnerable to public disclosure.
Air Pollution Linked to Higher Rates of Kidney Disease
• Exposure to higher amounts of fine particulate air pollution was associated with a greater likelihood of having chronic kidney disease.
• This link was stronger in urban areas, males, younger adults, and adults without comorbid diseases.
Taking greenhouse gas analysis on the road, er, rails
Since 2014, the University of Utah has maintained research-grade suites of air quality instruments installed on light rail trains. These mobile sensors cover the same area as 30 stationary sensors, providing the Salt Lake Valley with a highly cost-effective way to monitor its greenhouse emissions and fill in gaps in emissions estimates.
Air pollution spikes linked to lower test scores for Salt Lake County third graders
More frequent exposure to air pollution spikes were associated with reduced test scores for third graders in Salt Lake County. Schools with a higher proportion of students of color and from households experiencing poverty were exposed to more peak pollution days than were schools serving middle- to upper- class and predominately white students.
UAH helps develop air quality monitoring application for Thailand
Thailand will get help mitigating air pollution from a new satellite data application co-developed by The University of Alabama (UAH), a part of the University of Alabama System.
How Utah’s air pollution affects homeless populations
Researchers from the University of Utah document the effect of air pollution on people experiencing homelessness, finding that nearly all notice and are impacted by air pollution, whether or not they reside in shelters.
Pandemic lockdowns caused steep and lasting carbon dioxide decline
An international team of climate experts, including Earth system scientists at the University of California, Irvine, today released an assessment of carbon dioxide emissions by industry, transportation and other sectors from January through June, showing that this year’s pandemic lockdowns resulted in a 9 percent decline from 2019 levels.
COVID-19 lockdowns in China, Europe averted tens of thousands of premature deaths related to air pollution, study finds
Scientists at Notre Dame found that particulate matter concentrations in China dropped by an unprecedented 29.7 percent, and by 17.1 percent in parts of Europe, during lockdowns that took place between Feb. 1 and March 31 in China and Feb. 21 to May 17 in Europe.
Global food production poses an increasing climate threat
A new study shows that rising nitrous oxide emissions are putting reaching climate goals and the objectives of the Paris Agreement in jeopardy.
Achieving clean air for all is possible
A new study shows that it is possible to achieve clean air worldwide with fundamental transformations of today’s practices in many sectors, supported by strong political will.
February lockdown in China caused a drop in some types of air pollution, but not others
Atmospheric nitrogen dioxide, which comes from transportation, was half of what would be expected over China in February 2020. Other emissions and cloud properties, however, showed no significant changes.
New Research Shows Air Pollution Could Play a Role in Development of Cardiometabolic Diseases, Diabetes
Air pollution is the world’s leading environmental risk factor, and causes more than nine million deaths per year. New research published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation shows air pollution may play a role in the development of cardiometabolic diseases, such as diabetes. Importantly, the effects were reversible with cessation of exposure.
UCLA Fielding School of Public Health team leading California state study of air pollution and COVID-19
UCLA Fielding School of Public Health team leading California state study of air pollution and COVID-19. A research team led by UCLA Fielding School of Public Health faculty has been awarded a contract to study connections between air pollution and the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said.
Disparities in a common air pollutant are visible from space
Researchers reporting in Environmental Science & Technology have used airplanes and a satellite to uncover disparities in nitrogen dioxide amounts in the atmosphere above Houston.
Jet Aircraft Exhaust Linked to Preterm Births
Researchers from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health have found that pregnant women exposed to high levels of ultrafine particles from jet airplane exhaust are 14% more likely to have a preterm birth than those exposed to lower levels.
Understanding Molecular Mechanisms of Air Pollution’s Impact on Interstitial Lung Disease is Critical to Minimizing its Effects
More research must be done to investigate the role of air pollution on the epigenome in patients with interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), in order to develop strategies that minimize the effects of these pollutants, according to a new article published online in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Global pollution estimates reveal surprises, opportunity
Using recent satellite observations, ground monitoring and computational modeling, researchers at the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis have released a survey of global pollution rates. There are a couple of surprises, for worse, but also, for better.
Study: Air pollution from fracking linked to deaths in Pennsylvania
Approximately 20 people in Pennsylvania lost their lives during a seven-year period because of particulate matter pollution emitted by shale gas wells, according to a recent study including faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York.
Is the air getting cleaner during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Using air quality data from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency monitors across the U.S., a UW-led team looked for changes in two common pollutants over the course of 2020.
EPA Proposal to Change How It Evaluates Environmental Policy Ignores Science
The American Thoracic Society is extremely concerned with today’s announcement about changes in how the EPA evaluates the costs and benefits of environmental policy. While the details of economic analysis of environmental regulations are complex, the guiding principle is remarkably simple: compare all the costs and benefits of agency actions. The proposed changes in how costs and benefits are evaluated will sufficiently degrade the credibility of economic analysis conducted at the EPA to the point that it is no longer able to function as an objective policy analysis tool.
Persistent inequitable exposure to air pollution in Salt Lake County schools
Salt Lake County, Utah’s air pollution is at times the worst in the United States. Underserved neighborhoods—and their schools—experience the highest concentrations. A new study utilized nearly 200 PM 2.5 sensors through the Air Quality and U network and revealed persistent social inequalities in Salt Lake County schools.
Air pollution, racial disparities and COVID-19 mortality
The combination of higher exposure to air pollution and pre-existing health disparities is contributing to higher mortality among minority populations during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to experts at Cincinnati Children’s.
Will our clean air last after COVID-19? UCLA study says it’s possible
Will our clean air last after COVID-19? UCLA study says it’s possible. Achieving net-zero emissions in California by 2050 can prevent thousands of deaths annually — in every community — researchers say
Earth Day 2020: The Human Element
Fifty years ago, San José State University alumnus and Wisconsin senator Gaylord Nelson established the first Earth Day, which took place across the country on April 22. But what does Earth Day 2020 look like in the midst of a global pandemic? We asked Steve LaDochy, Ph.D., professor of geosciences and environment at Cal State LA, an expert in air pollution and climate, to reflect on the ways in which our human impact has become even more clear in recent weeks, and how it could inform our future actions.
EPA’S Attempt to Roll Back Regulations on Mercury and Toxic Air Emissions Ignores Science, Common Sense
Against the recommendation of the environmental, public health and even the electric power industry, this week the Environmental Protection Agency issued final rules to roll back regulations on mercury and toxic air emissions from our nation’s coal and oil-fired power plants. To justify taking such action, says the American Thoracic Society, the EPA ignored years of precedent – used by both Republican and Democratic Administrations – determining how the agency conducts cost benefit analysis of environmental regulations.
Soot may only be half the problem when it comes to cookstoves
Researchers at the McKelvey School of Engineering spent two weeks in India cooking with local residents. They found that soot wasn’t the only worrisome byproduct of traditional cookstoves; organic carbons are causing problems, too.
Former EPA Assistant Administrator Available to Comment on Stalled Air Pollution Standards
On Tuesday, April 14, the US Environmental Protection Agency announced it would decline to impose stricter controls on particulate matter emissions, which are known to cause health problems and premature death. The current standard, enacted in 2012, limits the amount…
Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Air Quality During COVID-19
New Brunswick, N.J. (April 9, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Monica Mazurek is available for interviews on air quality during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are experiencing unusually low levels of gas-phase and particulate air pollutants compared with last year,…
FSU researcher available to comment on unintended environmental impacts of COVID-19
By: Anna Prentiss | Published: April 8, 2020 | 12:44 pm | SHARE: As people around the world isolate in their homes to prevent the spread of COVID-19, research indicates there may be some positive environmental outcomes.Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor Jeff Chanton from the Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science (EOAS) said data show significant decreases in air pollution since January 2020.
ATS Opposes Trump Administration Roll Back of Vehicle Emissions and Mileage Requirements
The Trump Administration’s decision to roll back emission and mileage standards for cars and trucks is bad for respiratory health.
Former EPA Administrator Available to Comment on Clean Car Rollback
Despite the ongoing public health crisis, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation moved forward today with a final rule to roll back automobile efficiency standards established in 2012. The new rule would allow US vehicles to emit…
A silver lining of social distancing and quarantine? Better air quality. @HopkinsEngineer has an expert on atmospheric air pollution who can discuss how and to what extent social distancing and quarantine measures affect air pollution.
A silver lining of social distancing and quarantine? Better air quality. As more and more cities across the U.S. clamp down on travel, there have been fewer cars on the road and early reports of improved air quality. Johns Hopkins…
California’s strict air quality regulations help farmers prosper, UCI-led study finds
Irvine, Calif., March 16, 2020 – Farmers in California’s Central Valley are not known for their love of government regulations, but those same growers have seen a boost in the productivity of their high-value crops – and greater earnings – as a result of the Golden State’s strict air pollution controls. For a study published today in Nature Food, researchers at the University of California, Irvine and other institutions conducted a statistical analysis of pollution exposure and yields from 1980 to 2015 on a key sector making up about 38 percent of the state’s total agricultural output: perennial crops such as almonds, grapes, nectarines, peaches, strawberries and walnuts.
Fine Particle Air Pollution Linked with Poor Kidney Health
• Exposure to higher amounts of fine particulate matter air pollution was associated with a higher degree of albuminuria—a marker of kidney dysfunction—as well as a higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease over time.
Finer particulate matter (PM1) could increase cardiovascular disease risk
Researchers report in Environmental Science & Technology Letters that particles with diameters less than 1 μm (PM1) are more strongly correlated with cardiovascular disease.
Efforts to improve vehicle fuel efficiency may come at a high cost to the climate, public health
New automotive technology that promises enhanced fuel efficiency may have a serious downside, including significant climate and public health impacts, according to research from the University of Georgia College of Engineering.
Scientists Available to Comment on Environmental Impacts of Australian Bushfires
As record wildfires continue to burn in Australia, people are wondering about their long-term impacts, including on the environment. To address these questions, two environmental science experts at IUPUI — Indiana University’s premier urban research campus in downtown Indianapolis —…
Risk Analysis Powers Air Pollution Solutions
Air pollution exposure threatens human health both outdoors and when polluted air infiltrates homes, offices, schools and vehicles. Exposure to certain particulate matter can cause respiratory, cardiovascular and nervous system issues, especially in vulnerable populations. Several presentations at the 2019 Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) Annual Meeting will explore new ways to measure and track air pollutants to reduce public health risk.
New material captures and converts toxic air pollutant into industrial chemical
A team led by the University of Manchester has developed a metal-organic framework material providing a selective, reversible and repeatable capability to capture a toxic air pollutant, nitrogen dioxide, which is produced by combusting fossil fuels. The material then requires only water and air to convert the captured gas into nitric acid for industrial use.
Nature might be better than tech at reducing air pollution
Adding plants and trees to the landscapes near factories and other pollution sources could reduce air pollution by an average of 27 percent, new research suggests.
The study shows that plants – not technologies – may also be cheaper options for cleaning the air near a number of industrial sites, roadways, power plants, commercial boilers and oil and gas drilling sites.
In fact, researchers found that in 75 percent of the counties analyzed, it was cheaper to use plants to mitigate air pollution than it was to add technological interventions – things like smokestack scrubbers – to the sources of pollution.
McCabe article analyzes EPA’s weakening of air pollution rules for industry
In a new article published by Harvard Law School, Janet McCabe, director of the Environmental Resilience Institute, details how the Trump Administration is weakening one of the long-established cornerstones of the Clean Air Act to appease industry at the expense of public health.