The Bay Area is gearing up for its first heat wave of 2025. This is causing some concern because the high temperatures will also bring unhealthy smog levels. The Bay Area Air District has issued a Spare the Air alert for Friday. This means that people should avoid burning wood and driving to keep pollution down. The National Weather Service has forecasted that tempe...

Air pollution is a big deal. It's not just about smoggy skies and bad smells. It's about how it messes with our health, especially our kidneys. This is what a large study in China found out. They tracked over 5, 000 people to see how air pollution affects kidney function over time. They looked at five main pollutants: tiny particles (PM1, PM2. 5, PM10), nitrogen diox...

Air pollution doesn't stop at borders. It's a sneaky problem that affects not just the environment, but also people's health and the economy of neighboring areas. This is what they call transboundary air pollution. It's not fair, and it's a big deal. Let's talk about PM2. 5, tiny particles that can cause serious health issues. They're a big part of this pollution pr...

In the last decade, China has made big strides in cleaning up its outdoor air. However, there's a sneaky problem hiding right under our noses, or rather, right under our feet. The air in urban metro systems is often filled with tiny, harmful particles, and it's a problem that hasn't gotten much attention. In a recent study, researchers took a close look at the air i...

California has long been a pioneer in the fight against air pollution, especially when it comes to vehicle emissions. The state has unique authority to set stricter standards for cars and trucks, thanks to a provision in the 1967 Clean Air Act. This power has allowed California to lead the nation in reducing smog and soot, which are major health hazards. However, thi...

Air pollution is a big problem. It's all around us, and it's not just bad for our lungs. New research shows it might also be linked to type 2 diabetes. This is a serious issue, especially for women in the U. S. Two big studies, the Nurses' Health Study and the Nurses' Health Study II, looked into this. They wanted to see if long-term exposure to certain pollutants co...

In rural Honduras, a clever stove is making waves in the fight against type 2 diabetes. This stove, named Justa, is not your average wood-burning cookstove. It has a special combustion chamber and a chimney. These features make it stand out. But why is it important? Well, it's all about the air we breathe. In many low- and middle-income countries, cooking with solid...

In a recent study, researchers focused on how air pollution affects pregnant women, specifically looking at the risk of gestational diabetes. This condition is when a woman develops high blood sugar levels during pregnancy. The study involved over 2, 500 pregnant participants from Kunshan, China. The researchers tracked the levels of various pollutants in the air, in...

Bitcoin mining is a hot topic. It involves massive computer networks that produce cryptocurrency tokens. These operations guzzle enormous amounts of electricity. The environmental impact of this energy use is a growing concern. Especially the air pollution it creates. Fine particle pollution, known as PM2. 5, is a significant issue. This type of pollution is linked t...

The hustle and bustle of city life might be doing more than just causing stress. Traffic, with its constant noise and polluted air, could be changing the brains of young people. This isn't just about short-term effects. It's about long-lasting changes that happen over time. Young people growing up in cities are surrounded by traffic. This means they're exposed to a ...