Air Pollution

Air pollution refers to the presence of harmful substances in the atmosphere at concentrations that pose risks to human health, ecosystems and the built environment. These substances include particulate matter, ground-level ozone, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and other chemical compounds released from sources such as transport, industry, energy production, agriculture and natural events. Air pollution can contribute to respiratory and cardiovascular disease, reduce visibility, damage crops and forests, and influence climate processes.

Image: Earth, data visualisation shows smoke plumes across the Atlantic
Image of the day: Canadian wildfire smoke crossed the Atlantic in 2025News

Image of the day: Canadian wildfire smoke crossed the Atlantic in 2025

Every year on 23 March, World Meteorological Day marks the establishment of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and draws attention to the systems that monitor…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskMarch 23, 2026 Full article
Image: The summit of Weißseespitze in 2023, showing significant melting
Melting Alpine glacier reveals medieval mining, fires and volcanic pollutionScience

Melting Alpine glacier reveals medieval mining, fires and volcanic pollution

Glacier ice can reveal air pollution dating back to the Roman Empire, but the climate crisis is destroying this frozen archive Summary: Layers of ice…
SourceSourceMarch 15, 2026 Full article
Image: Jet, Fighter jet, Pollution, Environment, Conflict
The environment, another casualty of war in the Middle EastNews

The environment, another casualty of war in the Middle East

Paris, France | AFP | Muser NewsDesk From the jet fuel used in bombing raids to acrid smoke from burning oil depots, the conflict in the…
SourceSourceMarch 15, 2026 Full article
Image: silhouette of people
Pollution exposure associated with higher rates of depression and anxietyScience

Pollution exposure associated with higher rates of depression and anxiety

Air pollution, noise and chemicals Reducing pollution and expanding access to nature Growing evidence suggests that exposure to pollution may play a role in the…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskMarch 4, 2026 Full article
Image: Adult blowing their snot in a tissue
Air pollution linked to higher Alzheimer’s riskScience

Air pollution linked to higher Alzheimer’s risk

Cohort study finds people with stroke may be extra susceptible to air pollution’s impact on the brain Summary: Air pollution may play a direct role…
SourceSourceFebruary 20, 2026 Full article
Satellite Image: Piton de la Fournaise volcano, Réunion Island
Image of the day: Piton de la Fournaise volcano erupts againNews

Image of the day: Piton de la Fournaise volcano erupts again

Piton de la Fournaise rises from the east-southeastern tip of Réunion Island, a French territory in the western Indian Ocean shaped by successive volcanic episodes.…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskFebruary 18, 2026 Full article
Image: aerial view of high-rise buildings covered with smoke (s. air quality, air pollution, China)
China has slashed air pollution, but the ‘war’ isn’t overNews

China has slashed air pollution, but the ‘war’ isn’t over

Beijing, China | AFP | Muser NewsDesk Fifteen years ago, Beijing's Liangma riverbanks would have been smog-choked and deserted in winter, but these days they are…
SourceSourceFebruary 17, 2026 Full article
Image: Factory producing CO2 pollution
Climate action could save 1.3 million lives but global cooperation is keyClimate

Climate action could save 1.3 million lives but global cooperation is key

First-of-its-kind study assesses how health benefits of aggressive climate policy travel across international borders Summary: Global climate policy could prevent up to 1.32 million premature…
SourceSourceFebruary 12, 2026 Full article
Image: Rustic Cooking on Open Flame
Study finds widespread burning of plastic for cooking and heatingScience

Study finds widespread burning of plastic for cooking and heating

Research sheds new light on the prevalence of burning plastic as an everyday energy source, uncovering serious international health, social equality and environmental concerns Summary:…
SourceSourceJanuary 11, 2026 Full article
Graphic news (s. climate, science, research, scientists. emission targets, floods, environment)
Vietnam’s capital chokes through week of toxic smogNews

Vietnam’s capital chokes through week of toxic smog

Hanoi, Vietnam | AFP Toxic smog has blanketed Vietnam's capital for more than a week, blotting out the skyline and leaving residents wheezing as Hanoi's air…
SourceSourceDecember 11, 2025 Full article
Image: Recycling symbol and environmental balance (AI Gen.)
How air travel and renewable power differ in their air quality impactsClimate

How air travel and renewable power differ in their air quality impacts

Cutting air travel and purchasing renewable energy can lead to different effects on overall air quality, even while achieving the same CO₂ reduction, new research…
SourceSourceDecember 9, 2025 Full article
Satellite Image: Hayli Gubbi volcano, Ethiopia (s. The sulfur dioxide plume from Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi eruption)
Image of the day: Sulfur dioxide plume from Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi eruptionNews

Image of the day: Sulfur dioxide plume from Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi eruption

The sulfur dioxide plume from Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi eruption is captured in a Copernicus Sentinel-5P image that shows how a rare volcanic event sent emissions…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskNovember 25, 2025 Full article
Graphic news (s. climate, science, nature)
Cleaner air could prevent one in five cardiovascular deaths in the EUNews

Cleaner air could prevent one in five cardiovascular deaths in the EU

Copenhagen, Denmark | Muser NewsDesk Environmental conditions such as air pollution, heat, and exposure to harmful chemicals are responsible for around one in five cardiovascular…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskNovember 3, 2025 Full article
Image: AI art of Earth - climate change effects (s. science, climate, Muser)
Climate Science Digest: October 30, 2025Science

Climate Science Digest: October 30, 2025

Explore the latest insights from top science journals in the Muser Press daily roundup (October 30, 2025), featuring impactful research on climate change challenges. In…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskOctober 30, 2025 Full article
Image: AI art of Earth - climate change effects (s. science, climate, Muser)
Climate Science Digest: October 1, 2025Science

Climate Science Digest: October 1, 2025

Explore the latest insights from top science journals in the Muser Press daily roundup (October 1, 2025), featuring impactful research on climate change challenges. In…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskOctober 1, 2025 Full article
Image: AI art of Earth - climate change effects (s. science, climate, Muser)
Climate Science Digest: September 22, 2025Science

Climate Science Digest: September 22, 2025

Explore the latest insights from top science journals in the Muser Press daily roundup (September 22, 2025), featuring impactful research on climate change challenges. In…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskSeptember 22, 2025 Full article
Satellite Image: Canary Islands, Spain (s. calima event)
Image of the day: Saharan dust haze over the Canary IslandsNews

Image of the day: Saharan dust haze over the Canary Islands

A Saharan dust haze sweeping across the Canary Islands in mid-September 2025 brought poor air quality, rising temperatures, and heightened health risks to the archipelago.…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskSeptember 19, 2025 Full article
Sunset over Oil Platform
Heatwaves worsened by major carbon producersClimate

Heatwaves worsened by major carbon producers

In brief: According to ETH Zurich climate researchers, greenhouse gas emissions from major fossil fuel and cement producers are significant contributors to the occurrence and…
SourceSourceSeptember 19, 2025 Full article
Image: AI art of Earth - climate change effects (s. science, climate, Muser)
Climate Science Digest: September 12, 2025Science

Climate Science Digest: September 12, 2025

Explore the latest insights from top science journals in the Muser Press daily roundup (September 12, 2025), featuring impactful research on climate change challenges. In…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskSeptember 12, 2025 Full article
City buildings in the fog (s. air pollution, aerosols, dust, climate, science)
Texas study reveals heatwaves can cause more polluted airScience

Texas study reveals heatwaves can cause more polluted air

Heatwaves are becoming more common, severe and long-lasting. These prolonged periods of hot weather are especially dangerous in already hot places like Texas. In 2023,…
SourceSourceAugust 18, 2025 Full article
Image: Eco concept - light bulb grow in the grass (s. health benefits, energy efficiency)
Health benefits of energy efficiency far greater in Eastern Europe than Western EuropeClimate

Health benefits of energy efficiency far greater in Eastern Europe than Western Europe

The health benefits of energy interventions are greatest in countries such as Romania, Greece, and Bulgaria, according to a new study which provides a digital…
SourceSourceJuly 25, 2025 Full article
Image: Man drinking from a plastic bottle, sweating (s. Asia aerosol emissions, global warming)
East Asia’s cleaner air may be fueling faster global warming, study findsClimate

East Asia’s cleaner air may be fueling faster global warming, study finds

Research ties China’s anti-pollution efforts to a global spike in warming Summary: The rapid acceleration in global warming since 2010 may be linked to a…
SourceSourceJuly 14, 2025 Full article
Image: AI art of Earth - climate change effects (s. science, climate, Muser)
Climate Science Digest: July 3, 2025Science

Climate Science Digest: July 3, 2025

Explore the latest insights from top science journals in the Muser Press daily roundup (July 3, 2025), featuring impactful research on climate change challenges. In…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskJuly 3, 2025 Full article
Image: Smartphone on earth with stethoscope on a heart
Wildfire smoke exposure may trigger heart failureScience

Wildfire smoke exposure may trigger heart failure

Study shows both the intensity of smoke and how often it happens matter for heart health Summary: Prolonged exposure to wildfire smoke may significantly raise…
SourceSourceJune 24, 2025 Full article