A decrease in emissions of ozone precursor gases during the COVID-19 economic downturn likely explains the unusual reduction in ozone concentrations observed during the spring and summer of 2020.
air pollution
Posted inNews
Pollution Is Disrupting Rain Cycles in the Amazon
A team of researchers in Brazil and the United States uncovered the importance of the mechanism of oxidation—a process with the potential to affect climate and precipitation across the tropics.
Posted inNews
Iodine-Laden Desert Dust Is Eating at Ozone Pollution
In a happy accident, scientists found a potential solution to an atmospheric chemistry mystery. Their findings could be a missing piece in the iodine cycle and in atmospheric models.
Posted inNews
Pollination Plummeted 31% in Polluted Fields
Air pollution levels below “safe” limits (and lower than those commonly found in cities) led to a significant decrease in pollination by 10 common insects.
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Exposure to Low Levels of Air Pollution Increases COVID-19 Risk
Although causality has yet to be established, an Italian case study found that an increase in annual average exposure to PM2.5 was associated with a jump in the rate of COVID-19.
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Cleaner Pandemic Air Led to Reduced Lightning Strikes Worldwide
As people stayed home during the COVID-19 lockdowns, air quality improved. But the improvement was accompanied by an unusual meteorological side effect: a decrease in lightning.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Health Impacts of Air Pollution from Australian Megafires
Models suggest that thousands of Australians experienced dangerous levels of air pollution for several months, leading to more than a hundred deaths.
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Termite Fumigation in California Is Fueling the Rise of a Rare Greenhouse Gas
The insecticide sulfuryl fluoride isn’t included in federal or state emissions reduction goals.
Posted inNews
Tracking Pollution in the Breeze, with Trees
New research outlines how pine needles offer a simple, low-cost means of assessing particulate matter pollution.
Posted inNews
Midwest Livestock Operations Linked to Rise in Ammonia Pollution
For the first time, scientists have linked high-density animal operations in the U.S. Midwest to rising air pollution from ammonia, suggesting need for increased regulation from the EPA.