Deadly Heat in a Political Jungle

by Robert Hunziker / May 27th, 2024

World heat is worse than ever. The entire planet is sweating.

Every summer is hot but never like this. In America, it’s a national election year in the face of global record heat. What are candidates’ positions on CO2-infused heat?

Graph by Brian Brettschneider, PhD, Climatologist

It’s extremely significant that global heat is just as bad in the world’s oceans, which have absorbed 85-90% of planetary heat, serving as a heat reservoir for decades. But now, the oceans are starting to strut their hot stuff. According to Copernicus, April was the 13th month in a row that global sea surface temperatures between 60 degrees latitude south and 60 degrees latitude north have been the warmest on record for the month. Astoundingly, nearly 30% of the world’s oceans were above 28C (82.4°F) too hot for a bath, in April 2024, setting a record. Both the Mediterranean and Black Seas also had sharp upward trends for the month. Has civilization lost its ocean heat cushion?

Consequently, heat deaths are on the rise and look to escalate, by a lot, and soon. This is a worldwide crisis like none other. It requires world leadership to do something, soon, like the day before yesterday. But, how soon and will it be enough and who’s willing?

According to World Weather Attribution d/d May 14^, 2024: Consistent sweltering temperatures well above 40C (104F) are creating havoc from Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria in the West to Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines in the East, and even though  heat-related death tolls are typically underreported, hundreds of heat-related deaths have been reported, schools have been closed, and citizens warned to stay indoors.

Moreover, two studies by World Weather Attribution (WWA) “found that human-induced climate change influenced the events, making them around 30 times more likely and much hotter.”

Heat knows no borders. According to WLRN South Florida d/d May 23, 2024: “Heat Dome Leads to Sweltering Temperatures in Mexico, Central America, and US South”: “This extreme heat is occurring in a world that is quickly warming due to greenhouse gases, which come from the burning of fossil fuels like oil, gas, and coal.” For example, Miami International Airport is running 10°F hotter than normal at 96°F.

Mexico City is nearly a war zone scenario with record high temperatures which, combined with pollution, leads to multiple city-wide protests, including by police: “A group of police agents blocked six lanes of traffic Wednesday on a main Mexico City avenue, saying their barracks lacked water for a week and the bathrooms were unusable. ” (Ibid.) Water has been trucked for hospitals and to firefighting teams. Numerous birds and animals in the wild of Mexico have dropped dead on the spot.

All Central America is exposed to the same horrendous moist heat. And people wonder why they migrate North.

Yale Climate Connections d/d April 29, 2024 listed some global warming samplers (1) corals are bleaching in every corner of the ocean, threatening its web of life (2) extreme drought in southern Africa leaves millions hungry (3) West African heat wave: high humidity made 40°C feel like 50°C, which is a killer (4) discomfort may increase: Asia’s heat wave scorches hundreds of millions (5) record heat in Europe, Asia closes another extremely warm month for the planet (6) Europe unprepared for rapidly growing climate risks, report finds (7) China breaks heat records as sweltering weather baked cities from north to south.

“The era of global boiling has arrived,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned. “Climate change is here. It is terrifying. And it is just the beginning.” (Source: Climate Action, World Economic Forum, August 4, 2023.)

António Guterres “nailed it” nine months ago. Meanwhile, at some point in time soon, the major nations of the world will hit panic buttons and go all-in supplanting fossil fuels with renewables as quickly as possible. They’ll be forced to do this. After all, when police protest in the streets, as in Mexico City, who’s left to patrol?

It’s a national election year in America, and climate change should be a major political issue as the heat is on for the whole world to see like never before, and it will get worse, as stated by the UN secretary-general. What’s the political landscape in America? According to the mainstream publication Yahoo! Finance d/d Feb. 15, 2024: “MAGA Republicans Have a 920-Page Plan to Make Climate Change Worse.” Isn’t that just great!

Here’s the opening paragraph of Yahoo! Finance’s write-up: “When former President Donald Trump exited the Oval Office in January 2021, he left behind a record of environmental rollbacks unrivaled in US history. Over his 1,461 days as commander-in-chief, Trump replaced, eliminated, or otherwise dismantled more than 100 environmental rules – at least — from repealing the Clean Air Act to allowing coal plants to dump toxic wastewater into lakes and rivers to declaring open season on endangered gray wolves.” Several of the hatcheted rules were from Richard Nixon’s administration.

Subsequently, the Biden administration rolled back a lot of Trump’s hatchet job.

“Had all Trump’s policies gone into effect, the nonpartisan Rhodium Group estimated at the end of 2020, they would have added an additional 1.8 gigatons of CO2-equivalent to the atmosphere by 2035 – more than the annual energy emissions of Germany, Britain, and Canada combined. But even though we never felt the full brunt of them, the medical journal The Lancet estimated that the policies undertaken during his presidency were responsible for 22,000 deaths in 2019 alone due to sharp increases in things like asthma, heart disease, and lung cancer.” (Ibid.)

Project 2025 is the Heritage Foundation’s roadmap for MAGA Republicans going forward: “The plan’s proposals include eviscerating existing climate programs and increasing reliance on fossil fuels. It emphatically repudiates efforts to decarbonize the economy and is a wholesale reversal of the progress made on climate policy over recent years.” (Source: “Project 2025 Tells us What a Second Trump Term Could Mean for Climate Policy. It Isn’t Pretty“, WBUR nonprofit news org, March 27, 2024.)

Well, that’s great to know, but here’s the real issue: “Much of the voting public is disturbingly unaware of both Biden’s climate record and the assault that Project 2025 would marshal against it.” (Ibid.)

Make America Great Again. Really?

Robert Hunziker (MA, economic history, DePaul University) is a freelance writer and environmental journalist whose articles have been translated into foreign languages and appeared in over 50 journals, magazines, and sites worldwide. He can be contacted at: rlhunziker@gmail.com. Read other articles by Robert.

Why does Canada have so many wildfires?

Ahmad Mukhtar
Updated Wed, May 15, 2024 

Toronto — Wildfire season has arrived in full force in Western Canada, prompting evacuation orders and alerts in several towns in British Columbia and neighboring Alberta due to the danger of uncontrolled blazes. According to the BC administration's latest wildfire situation report, seven evacuation orders and five alerts had been issued in the province since Friday, driving about 4,700 residents from their homes.

"The situation is evolving rapidly," British Columbia's emergency management minister Bowninn Ma warned Monday, as officials said there were 130 active wildfires burning, 14 of them deemed out of control.

Thousands more people got evacuation orders Tuesday as strong winds pushed a raging fire closer to the oil-rich town of Fort McMurray, in Alberta province. Josee St-Onge, a spokesperson for the Alberta wildfire service, said that due to the intensity of the blaze, firefighting crews were pulled back from the front line Tuesday for safety reasons.

"We are seeing extreme fire behavior. Smoke columns are developing, and the skies are covered in smoke," St-Onge said at a news conference.

The 2023 wildfire season in Canada was the worst on record, with 6,551 fires scorching nearly 46 million acres, from the West Coast to the Atlantic provinces and the far north. The impact on the environment, particularly air quality, in both Canada and the United States was profound. As predicted, 2024 is shaping up to be another devastating wildfire season, and disaster and climate experts have a pretty good idea of why.

Most of the fires now ravaging Canada have actually been burning since last fire season, having smoldered slowly during the winter under the snowpack.

Scientists say these blazes, sometimes called zombie fires, are a stark reminder of the impact of climate change. Studies have linked the overwinter fires to ongoing drought conditions amid the increasingly hot, dry springs Canada has experienced in recent years. Scientists say less precipitation and warmer winter temperatures mean fires can keep burning in the dense layers of vegetation under the snowpack.

Sonja Leverkus, an ecosystem scientist in British Columbia who also works as a firefighter, told CBS News on Monday that the northeast of the Canadian province has so many wildfires at the moment "because we are in a severe drought for a third year in a row."

She said the parched conditions were likely to make things worse before they get any better.

Leverkus has been on the front line of the battle against fires in her hometown of Fort Nelson, where she and her teammates and their communities are currently under evacuation orders.

The Parker Lake wildfire glows in an aerial photograph taken by a British Columbia Emergency Health Services crew member through the window of an airplane evacuating patients from nearby Fort Nelson, May 10, 2024. / Credit: Andrei Axenov/BCEHS

"Many of the current fires this week were 2023 wildfires that overwintered below ground," she said. "We are heavy into spring, with low relative humidity, high wind, heat, and zero precipitation. Hence, wildfires."

Wildfire expert Ben Boghean, commenting this week on the blaze currently threatening the Parker Lake community in British Columbia, said Sunday that last year's severe drought conditions have enabled fires to spread at dizzying rates this spring, and due to the below-normal snowpack new fires are also erupting more easily.


Can wildfire smoke make you sick? How to stay safe amid air quality alerts, wildfire evacuations in Canada

With parts of Canada and the U.S. under air quality warnings, here's what to know about staying indoors, wearing a mask, and more tips to stay safe.

Karla Renic
·Lifestyle Editor
Updated Tue, May 14, 2024 

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Contact a qualified medical professional before engaging in any physical activity, or making any changes to your diet, medication or lifestyle.

Dangers of wildfire smoke inhalation are making headlines again as fires rage across Canada. On May 11, 2024, the Aurora Borealis was seen shining overhead of a B.C. Conservation Officer Service vehicle as a wildfire burns in the background near Fort Nelson, B.C. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship)More

Wildfires are raging again across Canada, with around 90 fires currently burning and smokey conditions affecting western provinces. The situation has led to hazardous air quality conditions in Canada, extending into the United States for the first time this season.

In northeastern British Columbia, the Parker Lake Fire tripled in size over the weekend and has gotten closer to the community of Fort Nelson, that's now under an evacuation order. Meanwhile, in Alberta, an evacuation alert is in place for residents of the Fort McMurray area after new fire starts over the weekend. The province is also being impacted by the wildfire smoke from B.C., with officials saying: "We know the presence of wildfires and smoke in the region can cause a wide range of emotions. Many local public and professional mental health resources are available."

Environment Canada has issued air quality alerts for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories and Quebec on Monday through Tuesday. "Wildfire smoke can be harmful to everyone's health even at low concentrations," it warned.

Warnings were also issued south of the border, in Minnesota, Montana, the Dakotas and Wisconsin due to the haze, urging people to stay indoors and avoid physical activity outside.

As the wildfire season kicks off, ways to protect ourselves from smoke are top-of-mind for many. Last year, Yahoo Canada spoke to a top respirologist in Toronto, who weighed in on the impact of smoke on our lungs, and what to do to stay safe. Read on for everything you need to know.

Wildfire smoke symptoms, and impact of wildfire smoke on our health: Expert

Smoke from wildfires blankets the city as a couple has a picnic in Edmonton, Alta., on Saturday, May 11, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Dr. John Granton, a respirologist at the Toronto General Hospital (University Health Network), told Yahoo Canada wildfires cause air pollution that can have a far-reaching effect on human health.

Small air pollutant particles in the smoke, called the PM2.5 particles, are "where a lot of the toxic stuff lives," Granton explained.

"That's not filtered by your upper airway, that gets access to your lower airway and into your bloodstream even — and that's where the danger lies.

"That can cause asthma attacks, can cause heart attacks, can contribute to hospitalizations and has long-term health outcomes."

Even just the smell could cause problems to some, he said.

"Being in smog all day long, the smell bothers people; it can cause irritation of the upper airway, some of the larger particles can cause irritation, and cause symptoms. People [who] have chest symptoms or asthma, it can make them feel worse."

Granton said smoke isn't easy to escape, but there are some things people can do try and stay safe.
Can face masks protect us from smoke?

According to Granton, "there's not a lot of data to support the health benefits of masking" when it comes to safety from wildfire smoke. But, he said there is research looking into the effectiveness of filters.

"Cloth masks or scarves and things are not effective at all," the doctor claimed.

But, surgical masks and N95 filter masks "tend to filter those smaller particles," he added, "apparently some of those masks are effective."

A cyclist wears a mask due to poor air quality conditions as smoke from wildfires in Ontario and Quebec hangs over Ottawa on Tuesday, June 6, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Granton said "they're not going to filter the gases," though, and there are studies that question whether masks that aren't properly fitted would actually help in the real world.

"Whether or not that has a direct health benefit is speculative right now," Granton explained.

However, he said it "may be reasonable" for those who have underlying health conditions and those who have to be in the hotspots of the pollution to wear one.

"If you have to be outdoors and doing things, then wearing that sort of mask to protect you would be sensible."
How else to protect yourself from wildfire smoke?

Though filtration masks could aid in protecting your lungs from smoke, the number one recommendation from experts is to stay indoors.

Canadian experts are advising to stay indoors to protect yourself from wildfire smoke. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick)

According to Health Canada, the following measures should also be taken:

Reduce sources of indoor air pollution (smoking, vacuuming, burning candles, wood stoves)


Prevent infiltration of outside air (seal windows, instal a high-quality air filter, set HVAC system to recirculation mode, limit use of exhaust fans when not cooking)

Have a functioning CO alarm


Use a portable air purifier and air conditioning

Granton echoed this advice.

"Most people recommend staying indoors as much as possible and not exercising or doing things outside," he reiterated.


How Inhaling Wildfire Smoke Can Affect You in the Long Term

Chantelle Lee

TIME
Wed, May 15, 2024 

Smoke rises after fire erupts in Western Canada on May 14, 2024. Credit - Cheyenne Berreault—Anadolu/Getty Images

Wildfires burning in Canada started sending smoke across the border on Sunday and into the week, prompting U.S. officials to issue air quality warnings in several northern states—and experts say people should be prepared to experience more air quality alerts this summer.

Parts of Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin suffered from poor air quality on Sunday and Monday because of smoke from wildfires continuing to burn in British Columbia and Alberta. While skies in the U.S. mostly cleared by Tuesday, experts say they’re expecting another active wildfire season this summer.

Last summer was Canada’s most devastating wildfire season on record, and researchers found that it was also the worst season in recent history for smoke exposure per U.S. resident.

“We still think that last year was pretty extreme, kind of an anomaly, but we do expect an above average year (this year) in terms of air quality alerts,” says David Brown, an air quality meteorologist at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

Brown urged people to be aware and cautious because of the danger that inhaling wildfire smoke poses.

“Wildfire smoke can really affect everyone,” Brown tells TIME. “Prior to these really bad two summers, air quality has kind of been … an issue that probably only affects a small percentage of the population. But these impactful wildfire smoke events really can have impacts on everyone, so everyone kind of has to pay closer attention to the weather and air quality.”

Fine particles in wildfire smoke—known as PM2.5 because they have a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers—are so small that they can enter your lungs and even your bloodstream, according to Craig Czarnecki, the outreach coordinator for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Air Management Program.

The average person could experience relatively mild symptoms after breathing in these particles, like a scratchy throat and itchy eyes, Brown explains. But for children, older people, and people with pre-existing heart or respiratory conditions, breathing in these particles can cause more significant symptoms—for instance, it could exacerbate a person’s asthma. In extreme cases, some people with pre-existing heart conditions have experienced heart attacks or heart palpitations.

Read More: What Wildfire Smoke Does to the Human Body

A 2023 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found an association between smoke from Canadian wildfires and an increase in the number of people being treated for asthma-related symptoms in emergency departments in New York City.

The study shows that “wildfire smoke is a public health threat,” according to Kai Chen, an assistant professor at the Yale School of Public Health and lead author of the study. But the effect of wildfire smoke on asthma is “just one piece” of the impact wildfire smoke can have on people’s health, Chen says.

Research also shows that exposure to wildfire smoke could have long-term impacts. A working paper in the National Bureau of Economic Research found that, as climate change increases the prevalence and intensity of wildfires, wildfire smoke exposure could lead to nearly 28,000 deaths a year by 2050 —a 76% increase from estimated average deaths between 2011 and 2020.

Other studies show that long-term exposure to PM2.5 can impair children’s lung development and increase the risk of developing lung cancer or heart disease.

When officials issue air quality alerts, people should limit their exposure to the wildfire smoke, reduce exertion, and keep an eye out for potential symptoms, like coughing or shortness of breath, Brown and Czarnecki advise. Wearing an N95 mask might be helpful if people are going to be outside for extended periods of time, Czarnecki adds.

“When we have advisories like this, the best way to prevent breathing particles during smoke events is to stay indoors,” Czarnecki says.

Canadian wildfire smoke chokes Midwest with poor air quality again Tuesday

Chris Oberholtz
Tue, May 14, 2024

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Some northern states are waking up to hazy skies Tuesday due to smoke from wildfires across western Canada.

Dozens of large wildfires are burning, mostly in British Columbia and Alberta provinces. The toxic smoke from these massive wildfires has been released into the air and carried into the northern U.S., causing poor air quality in parts of the Midwest.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has issued an air quality alert for the northernmost four tiers of counties west of Interstate 35 and east of I-35 through 11 p.m. Tuesday.

Iowa air quality officials advise limiting outdoor activities and taking more breaks until conditions improve, especially for those with respiratory or heart disease, children, teenagers, the elderly and outdoor workers.

HOW IS AIR QUALITY MEASURED?

The National Weather Service in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, said that some areas may experience minor reductions in visibility and deteriorated air quality due to surface smoke on Tuesday. However, air quality is expected to improve compared to Monday, as the smoke remains mostly aloft.

As the smoke shifted south Tuesday morning, Topeka, Kansas, had the worst air quality in America. Kansas City, Missouri, also ranked among the cities with the worst air quality.

THE AIR QUALITY INDEX EXPLAINED: WHAT AIR QUALITY IS BAD?

On Monday, the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul in Minnesota claimed the worst air quality in America after winds carried the smoke southeastward into the northern U.S. The air quality forecast for Minneapolis is improving to "good" for Tuesday through the rest of the workweek.

The FOX Forecast Center said computer forecast models show the smoke hugging portions of the Midwest throughout Tuesday before an approaching cold front brings rain and clearer conditions starting Wednesday.

WHICH U.S. CITIES HAVE THE DIRTIEST AIR? 2024 STATE OF THE AIR REPORT RANKS THEM

The combination of warm temperatures and an ongoing drought have helped fuel several fires in western Canada, which has prompted thousands to leave their homes.

CANADA HAD NORTH AMERICA'S WORST AIR QUALITY IN 2023 BECAUSE OF WILDFIRES, REPORT SAYS

One of the largest fires burning in the province of British Columbia is called the Parker Lake Wildfire. As of Tuesday, the blaze has burned more than 20,000 acres. The British Columbia Wildfire Service has identified the blaze as "out of control," noting that it continues to spread and could breach the current control line.

Local authorities urged the entire town of Fort Nelson to evacuate and use as few vehicles as possible to conserve fuel in the region about 400 miles east of Juneau, Alaska.

Large wildfires are also burning in neighboring Alberta, where thick smoke and poor air quality have been experienced in large parts of the province.

An evacuation alert was issued for Fort McMurray in Alberta as crews respond to what they describe as an "out-of-control wildfire" southwest of town that has burned more than 16,200 acres as of the latest report.

Additionally, authorities are monitoring rekindled fires since the historic 2023 firestorm, which burned more than 45 million acres.

An El Niño regime caused extensive snowfall deficits across much of the country, potentially setting up regions for another record-breaking fire season.

The latest North America Drought Monitor showed nearly half of Canada is in drought conditions, with the driest regions being located in the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia.

In 2023, hundreds of fires in Canada contributed to some U.S. cities seeing their worst air pollution of all time and creating an orange haze in hazardous conditions.


Dozens of blazes burning in Canada are sending smoke to the US. Several major fires have forced hundreds of evacuations

Eric Zerkel, Joe Sutton, Paradise Afshar and Sara Smart, CNN
Mon, May 13, 2024 

More than 100 blazes are burning across Canada Monday, with several major wildfires prompting evacuations for hundreds of residents and threatening to swallow up communities.

In the province of Manitoba, in eastern Canada, a massive fire had charred more than 86,000 acres by Monday evening and was less than a mile away from the community of Cranberry Portage, local authorities said. More than 500 residents there had been evacuated, according to Manitoba officials.

“I’ve been working in wildfires for 40 years, I’ve never seen a fire move like this fire moved,” Manitoba Wildfire Service Director Earl Simmons said in a Monday news conference.

In Western Canada, the Parker Lake Fire in northeastern British Columbia more than tripled in size over the weekend to 13,000 acres and is now on the doorstep of the small community of Fort Nelson. The blaze was less than 1.5 miles west of the town Monday morning, and gusty winds are expected to linger in the coming days and could bring the flames even closer.

“The next 48 hours will be a challenging situation,” said Bowinn Ma, BC minister of emergency management and climate readiness. “We may begin to see volatile wildfire activity later this afternoon.”

As of Monday morning, roughly 4,700 people were under evacuation orders, including in the town of Fort Nelson and Fort Nelson First Nation, Ma said. People across 80 other properties were also asked to evacuate, the official added.

Evacuation alerts are also in effect for parts of Alberta as wildfire MWF-017 burns about 10 miles southwest of the city of Fort McMurray – an area that was devastated by a wildfire in 2016. By Monday evening, that blaze had grown to more than 16,200 acres.

An evacuation alert was issued for residents in Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek, Gregoire Lake Estates, Fort McMurray 468 First Nation and Anzac, according to Alberta officials.

The blazes also prompted the Canadian National Railway Company to suspend services in some areas.

“CN has suspended service on our network between Fort St. John and Fort Nelson in British Columbia and north of High Level, Alberta due to wildfire activity,” spokeswoman Ashley Michnowski told CNN. “We are working with impacted customers as our crews assess damages and identify any required repairs.”
Warming climate helps fire conditions

Extremely dry conditions and winds gusting up to 25 mph are driving the fire Monday, but the seeds of fire activity were sown over the winter and in past years as the world continues to warm because of human-driven climate change.

“This region has experienced multiple years of drought, with a below normal snowpack this past winter,” said Ben Boghean, fire behavior specialist for the BC Wildfire Service. “As a result of this, our forests in the Fort Nelson zone are very receptive to new fire ignitions and rapid rates of spread.”

This handout picture courtesy of the Alberta Wildfire Service, taken May 11, 2024, shows smoke from wildfires burning southwest of the town of Fort McMurray, in Alberta, Canada. - Alberta Wildlife Service/AFP/Getty Images

Declining snow, increasing temperatures and worsening droughts are all hallmarks of climate change and are projected to keep driving larger and more intense fires across Canada, according to Environment Canada.

Last year was Canada’s most devastating fire season on record, including in British Columbia, where fires burned through hundreds of homes and an area the size of Maryland, according to the BC Wildfire Service.

The Parker Lake Fire is not alone. There are more than 100 fires burning across Canada, 39 of which are considered out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Fire Centre.

Some of the blazes are so-called “holdover fires” also known colloquially as “zombie fires,” the smoldering remains of last season’s epic blazes, burning deep in the ground throughout the winter and reigniting when exposed to warmer temperatures in the spring.

Smoke rises Friday from mutual aid wildfire GCU007 in the Grande Prairie Forest Area near TeePee Creek, Alberta. - Alberta Wildfire/Handout/Reuters

“In the past, the winter conditions are what put out a lot of holdover fires,” Ma said. “In this case, what we’ve seen is that due to higher temperatures and persistent drought through the last year, many of these holdover fires were not put out like they normally are.”

Two “zombie” fires, the Patry Creek Fire and the Nogah Creek wildfire, are growing rapidly to the north and east of Fort Nelson and contributing to the evacuation orders.

Evacuation alerts are also in place for parts of Alberta as the MWF-017 wildfire burns out of control near Fort McMurray in the northeastern area of the province, officials said. The fire had burned about 16,000 acres as of Sunday morning.
Hazardous smoke creeps into the US

Smoke from the infernos has caused Environment Canada to issue a special air quality statement extending from British Columbia to Saskatchewan.

It has also caused smoke to waft down into the northern tier of the US for the first time this year, and for air quality alerts to be issued for Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. Air quality reached “unhealthy” levels in all three states Monday, including Minneapolis-St. Paul, according to AirNow.gov.

On Monday afternoon, the Twin Cities had the eighth-worst air quality of 119 major cities tracked by IQAIR, a company tracking air quality worldwide.

Particulate matter levels this high can cause issues for sensitive groups or anyone spending prolonged time outdoors, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Wildfire smoke has been linked to increases in certain cancers and heart-related issues, among other ailments.

Just last year, smoke from Canadian wildfires made its way to parts of the United States and caused dangerous air conditions across the country. In 2023, 19 counties in 11 states had days with “very unhealthy” and “hazardous” air quality — given at least a “code purple” alert on the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index.

Poor air quality conditions are expected to linger in the US through Monday, and likely longer in parts of Canada closer to the fires, including Alberta and British Columbia.

Canadian officials warned those at higher risk of experiencing health effects from wildfire smoke include people with lung disease such as asthma, people with heart disease, along with older adults, children, those who are pregnant and people who work outdoors. They also recommended those who spend time outdoors wear a mask to help reduce exposure to fine particles of smoke.

New Air Quality Monitors Could Expose Factory Farming and Environmental Racism

 

In North Carolina, Sampson County residents and environmental groups are working together to measure air pollution from the meat industry.

May 5, 2024 by Sentient Media

 

By Grace Hussain, Sentient Media

Sampson County is an agricultural powerhouse for North Carolina, home to more than 400 industrial animal agriculture operations, otherwise known as factory farms. These hundreds of factory farms are responsible for spewing tons of greenhouse gasses and other toxic pollutants into the air, but until now, Sampson county residents haven’t been able to do much about it.

Ninety-five percent of North Carolina hog farms are located in the eastern part of the state, a region predominantly low-income and Black, brown and Indigenous. A 2023 analysis of air quality in Duplin county (neighbor to Sampson county) found that marginalized communities are exposed to higher pollution levels — including ammonia — than the state’s residents as a whole. Efforts to fight back against pollution have long proved challenging, but residents are turning to air quality monitors to expose factory farming and a clear pattern of environmental racism.

Even though research has shown that the pork industry’s heavy presence contributes to air pollution, until recently communities in the eastern part of North Carolina have not had access to federal air quality monitors, which would give them access to federal grants that could be used to make the air cleaner. A new program spearheaded by residents and a coalition of advocacy groups is working to address that gap in information — putting monitoring equipment in the hands of the community in order to arm them in the fight for cleaner air.

“There is a gap in air quality data,” says Daisha Wall, who manages programs for Cleanaire NC, one of the organizations working in Sampson County to install air quality monitors throughout the area in order to fill the void. The organization employs what is sometimes called “citizen science,” a strategy of scientific research that is driven by a collaboration of professional scientists and members of the public, though the group uses the term “community science” to describe its collaborative efforts. Community scientists are called Airkeepers by the Cleanaire NC, which previously spearheaded a similar effort in Charlotte.

The Sampson County initiative brings together community residents and a number of environmental groups, including Cleanaire NC, the Environmental Justice Community Action Network and Eastern Research Group. The groups will be working together to deploy air sensors — some directly into backyards and one that is mounted on a car — in order to detect pollution in the air. The project is being funded by a $500,000 grant from the EPA, and depending on the data, agency regulators could take action if that pollution exceeds regulatory limits.

Hog Farm Air Pollution Linked to Higher Cancer Rates

A typical North Carolina industrial hog farms hold thousands of hogs at a time, and those animals generate massive amounts of waste — upwards of millions of gallons of manure, in fact. Farms have to store the waste somewhere until it can be sprayed on crop farms, often in massive open-air cesspits. Each of the farms in Sampson County usually has at least one of these cesspits, though some of the larger farm operations need five or six to hold all of their waste, according to state data. As the waste sits, it emits noxious gasses like methane and hydrogen sulfide that spread into the air in surrounding communities. Collectively, these gasses are called volatile organic compounds or VOCs, and the science suggests these pollutants might be linked to a number of health conditions that are more common in these communities.

According to the research, factory farms in North Carolina have been linked to higher rates of anemia, kidney disease and, for some residents, early mortality. And according to the American Lung Association, exposure to these gasses can cause ear, nose and eye irritation, difficulty breathing and increase the risk of some kinds of cancer.

In Sampson County, Community Residents Take the Lead

Factory farms have a long history of operating in poorer marginalized communities where residents lack the financial resources to push back against the meat and dairy industries. Every single attendee at Cleanaire NC’s first community meeting for the project was Black or brown, says Wall, who heard residents express concern about the quality of the air they and their families breathe each day.

The concerns raised at that first meeting became some of the major driving forces behind the new initiative. Some community members recounted how their homes were sprayed with animal feces, says Wall, while others described playgrounds located right next to factory farms. “It really puts a fire under you to do the best you can,” she adds.

Data collection is set to launch July 1, but 25 out of 30 sensors have already been deployed at homes across the county. Using an app developed in partnership by Cleanaire NC and the EPA, residents report unusual odors, which triggers the system to analyze the source of the smell  — ammonia smells sharp and pungent, for instance.

Over the next three years, the coalition will also host training and informational sessions aimed at equipping community members to effectively advocate for clean air. The end goal of all of it: a federal air monitor that can unlock stronger clean air protections for Sampson county.

Federal air quality monitors are used to flag any air contaminant that’s out of the ordinary, says Wall. And once a pollutant has been flagged, she says, “they have to implement programs to address it.” Up until now, communities didn’t have actual data about the pollution in the air. But if the federal monitor detects regulatory violations, the EPA can pursue action against the offenders — including fines and remediation.

Building On Success in Charlotte

In Sampson County, the campaign for a federal air monitor has just started. But 170 miles away in Charlotte, residents of the historic West End neighborhood have already leveraged the sensors to jumpstart federal air quality monitoring.

The community in Charlotte even went on to create a green district with the support of organizations like Cleanaire NC, which includes car charging stations, a community garden, freshly planted trees, newly established green spaces and green bus stations and infrastructure.

The new landscape is a distinct departure from the historic reality of the West End neighborhood, which was redlined by zoning maps in the 1930’s. The practice of redlining was used to delineate Black neighborhoods as “risky investments.” These neighborhoods then were excluded from the investments enjoyed by other areas in cities, and buildings, roads and other city services became neglected and rundown as a result. To make matters worse, when highways came to Charlotte, they cut through other Black neighborhoods, which caused more families to move to the West End and increased racial segregation in Charlotte. Decades later, the neighborhood is now considered highly desirable, but the district also struggles against the effects of gentrification, which increase rents and property taxes and threaten to displace longtime residents.

Back in Sampson County, Wall emphasizes that Cleanaire NC is well aware of their role as an outside organization supporting the work of the residents of the local community. “We really are led and guided by community needs and input,” she says. Wall also says she’s eager to get started, to help spur “the changes that communities want to see.”

This article has been updated to clarify Wall’s work with Cleanaire NC, and also the group’s use of the term “community science.”

This article originally appeared in Sentient at https://sentientmedia.org/air-quality-monitors-factory-farming/.

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This story was originally published by Sentient Media.

 

Research shows link between pollution and heart risks in residents of the city of São Paulo, Brazil

A study by the University of São Paulo, published in the journal Environmental Research, analyzed the results of the autopsies of 238 people and epidemiological data; the risk is greater for hypertensive patients

FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO

The relationship between living in a polluted city like São Paulo (Brazil) and lung disease or cancer is well known. But the problems go further. Unprecedented research shows that long-term exposure to air pollution is directly linked to increased heart risks in residents of the capital of the state of the same name. People with high blood pressure are at even greater risk. 

The study, published in the journal Environmental Research, was conducted by researchers from the University of São Paulo (USP) with support from FAPESP (projects 13/21728-2, 16/23129-7 and 19/06435-5). The research shows that cardiac fibrosis, an indicator of heart disease, is related to the duration of exposure to black carbon particles, an indicator of air pollution.

The researchers analyzed the autopsies of 238 people and epidemiological data to measure this association. They also interviewed relatives of the victims to gather information on risk factors such as a history of smoking and hypertension. From macroscopic observation of lung tissue, they determined the presence and amount of the black carbon fraction in the lungs. Myocardial samples revealed the cardiac fibrosis fraction. 

The results showed a significant association between the black carbon fraction in the lungs and cardiac fibrosis in the individuals studied. This means that the longer a person is exposed to pollution, the more likely they are to develop fibrosis. “This data highlights the crucial role of autopsy in investigating the effects of the urban environment and personal habits in determining diseases,” says one of the authors of the study, pathologist and USP professor Paulo Saldiva. 

In addition, it was found that the risk is increased for hypertensive individuals. Among them, the presence of the heart disease marker increases with the increase in the presence of the pollution exposure indicator, both in smokers and non-smokers. Among non-hypertensive individuals, the highest risks were observed mainly among smokers.  

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a disease that can be silent and without symptoms. According to the Brazilian Ministry of Health, the mortality rate has increased in ten years from 11.8 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in 2011 to 18.7 in 2021. Around 60% of the country’s elderly suffer from hypertension.    

When hypertension is silent, pollution is not always visible. In some cases, however, it is possible to know where it is most harmful. Exposure to pollution within the same city depends on factors such as people’s habits and commutes. “We can say that there are two indicators of pollution, one measured by the CETESB [São Paulo State Environmental Corporation] network, which is objective. And another related to how much each individual is exposed to,” he says. “In other words, the level of concentration of environmental pollution doesn’t mean the same dose is received by everyone. If you’re in a traffic corridor for hours, you receive a higher dose because the concentration of that environment is particularly higher.”

Saldiva explains that various factors, such as hypertension itself, influence the development of cardiac fibrosis, and that pollution has now been shown to be one of them. “The question was, ‘Is pollution big enough to show up in this photo?’ It is, and it was the first time in the world that it had been demonstrated in humans. That’s the difference in this work,” he points out.

According to the doctor, the study was only possible thanks to the work carried out 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by the city’s Death Verification Service (SVO). He says that the support of the USP Medical School and FAPESP, in agreements signed in the past with the SVO, has built up a vast body of processes and information that today lead to new scientific possibilities.  

USP’s research provides evidence of the impacts of air pollution on cardiovascular health and highlights the need for effective measures to reduce the population’s exposure to this evil. Implementing measures such as reducing vehicle emissions, promoting sustainable public transport in the city, and promoting clean energy sources are effective strategies for mitigating the impacts of air pollution on public health.

About São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)

The São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) is a public institution with the mission of supporting scientific research in all fields of knowledge by awarding scholarships, fellowships and grants to investigators linked with higher education and research institutions in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. FAPESP is aware that the very best research can only be done by working with the best researchers internationally. Therefore, it has established partnerships with funding agencies, higher education, private companies, and research organizations in other countries known for the quality of their research and has been encouraging scientists funded by its grants to further develop their international collaboration. You can learn more about FAPESP at www.fapesp.br/en and visit FAPESP news agency at www.agencia.fapesp.br/en to keep updated with the latest scientific breakthroughs FAPESP helps achieve through its many programs, awards and research centers. You may also subscribe to FAPESP news agency at http://agencia.fapesp.br/subscribe.

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JOURNAL

Environmental Research

DOI

10.1016/j.envres.2024.118380 

ARTICLE TITLE

Association of pulmonary black carbon accumulation with cardiac fibrosis in residents of Sao Paulo, Brazil

The world’s 100 worst polluted cities are in Asia — and 83 of them are in just one country

Helen Regan, CNN
Fri, April 26, 2024 



All but one of the 100 cities with the world’s worst air pollution last year were in Asia, according to a new report, with the climate crisis playing a pivotal role in bad air quality that is risking the health of billions of people worldwide.

The vast majority of these cities — 83 — were in India and all exceeded the World Health Organization’s air quality guidelines by more than 10 times, according to the report by IQAir, which tracks air quality worldwide.

The study looked specifically at fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, which is the tiniest pollutant but also the most dangerous. Only 9% of more than 7,800 cities analyzed globally recorded air quality that met WHO’s standard, which says average annual levels of PM2.5 should not exceed 5 micrograms per cubic meter.


“We see that in every part of our lives that air pollution has an impact,” said IQAir Global CEO Frank Hammes. “And it typically, in some of the most polluted countries, is likely shaving off anywhere between three to six years of people’s lives. And then before that will lead to many years of suffering that are entirely preventable if there’s better air quality.”

When inhaled, PM2.5 travels deep into lung tissue where it can enter the bloodstream. It comes from sources like the combustion of fossil fuels, dust storms and wildfires, and has been linked to asthma, heart and lung disease, cancer, and other respiratory illnesses, as well as cognitive impairment in children.

Begusarai, a city of half a million people in northern India’s Bihar state, was the world’s most polluted city last year with an average annual PM2.5 concentration of 118.9 — 23 times the WHO guidelines. It was followed in the IQAir rankings by the Indian cities of Guwahati, Assam; Delhi; and Mullanpur, Punjab.

Across India, 1.3 billion people, or 96% of the population, live with air quality seven times higher than WHO guidelines, according to the report.

Central and South Asia were the worst performing regions globally, home to all four of the most polluted countries last year: Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Tajikistan.

South Asia is of particular concern, with 29 of the 30 most polluted cities in India, Pakistan or Bangladesh. The report ranked the major population centers of Lahore in 5th, New Delhi in 6th and Dhaka in 24th place.

Hammes said no significant improvement in pollution levels in the region is likely without “major changes in terms of the energy infrastructure and agricultural practices.”

“What’s also worrisome in many parts of the world is that the things that are causing outdoor air pollution are also sometimes the things that are causing indoor air pollution,” he added. “So cooking with dirty fuel will create indoor exposures that could be many times what you’re seeing outdoors.”
A global problem

IQAir found that 92.5% of the 7,812 locations in 134 countries, regions, and territories where it analyzed average air quality last year exceeded WHO’s PM2.5 guidelines.

Only 10 countries and territories had “healthy” air quality: Finland, Estonia, Puerto Rico, Australia, New Zealand, Bermuda, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius and French Polynesia.

Millions of people die each year from air pollution-related health issues. Air pollution from fossil fuels is killing 5.1 million people worldwide every year, according to a study published in the BMJ in November. Meanwhile, WHO says 6.7 million people die annually from the combined effects of ambient and household air pollution.

The human-caused climate crisis, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, plays a “pivotal” role in influencing air pollution levels, the IQAir report said.

The climate crisis is altering weather patterns, leading to changes in wind and rainfall, which affects the dispersion of pollutants. Climate change will only make pollution worse as extreme heat becomes more severe and frequent, it said.

The climate crisis is also leading to more severe wildfires in many regions and longer and more intense pollen seasons, both of which exacerbate health issues linked to air pollution.

“We have such a strong overlap of what’s causing our climate crisis and what’s causing air pollution,” Hammes said. “Anything that we can do to reduce air pollution will be tremendously impactful in the long term also for improving our climate gas emissions, and vice versa.”
Regional rankings

North America was badly affected by wildfires that raged in Canada from May to October last year. In May, the monthly average of air pollution in Alberta was nine times greater than the same month in 2022, the report found.

And for the first time, Canada surpassed the United States in the regional pollution rankings.

The wildfires also affected US cities such as Minneapolis and Detroit, where annual pollution averages rose by 30% to 50% compared to the previous year. The most polluted major US city in 2023 was Columbus, Ohio for the second year running. But major cities like Portland, Seattle and Los Angeles experienced significant drops in annual average pollution levels, the report said.

In Asia, however, pollution levels rebounded across much of the region.

China reversed a five-year trend of declining levels of pollution, the report found. Chinese cities used to dominate global rankings of the world’s worst air quality but a raft of clean air policies over the past decade has transformed things for the better.

A study last year had found the campaign meant the average Chinese citizen’s lifespan is now 2.2 years longer. But thick smog returned to Beijing last year, where citizens experienced a 14% increase in the annual average PM2.5 concentration, according to the IQAir report. China’s most polluted city, Hotan, was listed at 14 in the IQAir ranking.

In Southeast Asia, only the Philippines saw a drop in annual pollution levels compared to the previous year, the report found.

Indonesia was the most polluted country in the region, with a 20% increase compared to 2022. Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand all had cities that exceeded WHO PM2.5 guidelines by more than 10 times, according to the report.

Last month, Thai authorities ordered government employees to work from home due to unhealthy levels of pollution in the capital Bangkok and surrounding areas, according to Reuters. On Friday, tourism hot spot Chiang Mai was the world’s most polluted city as toxic smog brought by seasonal agricultural burning blanketed the northern city.
Inequality… and one bright spot

The report also highlighted a worrying inequality: the lack of monitoring stations in countries in Africa, South America and the Middle East, which results in a dearth of air quality data in those regions.

Although Africa saw an improvement in the number of countries included in this year’s report compared with previous years the continent largely remains the most underrepresented. According to IQAir, only 24 of 54 African countries had sufficient data available from their monitoring stations.

Seven African countries were among the new locations included in the 2023 rankings, including Burkina Faso, the world’s fifth most polluted country, and Rwanda, in 15th.

Several countries that ranked high on the most polluted list last year were not included for 2023 due to a lack of available data. They include Chad, which was the most polluted country in 2022.

“There is so much hidden air pollution still on the planet,” said Hammes.

One bright spot is increasing pressure and civic engagement from communities, NGOs, companies, and scientists to monitor air quality.

“Ultimately that’s great because it really shows governments that people do care,” Hammes said.





20 Most Air Polluted Cities in Asia
Meerub Anjum
Fri, April 26, 2024



In this article, we will look into the 20 most air polluted cities in Asia. If you want to skip our detailed analysis, you can go directly to the 5 Most Air Polluted Cities in Asia.
Air Pollution in Asia

99 out of the 100 most air polluted cities in the world are from Asia. The UNEP reports that nearly 6.5 million people die due to poor air quality every year, out of which 70% of the deaths occur in Asia and the Pacific. According to the 2023 Air Quality Life Index report, countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and India account for more than 50% of the life years lost due to air pollution. South Asia is the most polluted subregion in Asia, where the average lifespan declined by 5.1 years. Bangladesh is the most air polluted country in Asia. Life expectancy declined by 6.8 years in Bangladesh, as of 2023.

In 2023, Asia dominated the countries with the worst air pollution in the world. According to the 2023 World Air Quality Report, East Asia showed a diverse outlook, with some countries experiencing an increase in PM2.5 concentration in 2023 while others facing a decline. Countries such as Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and Hong Kong SAR surpassed the WHO's target 2 of 15 μg/m³. Mongolia continued its downward trend in PM2.5 concentration and recorded a 25% decrease in its PM2.5 concentration. Hotan, China stands out as the most air polluted city in 2023, with an annual average particulate matter concentration of more than 87 µg/m3. Whereas, Ibigawa, Japan is the least polluted city in the region, as of 2023.

The air quality in Southeast Asia deteriorated, due to many countries in the region experiencing a rise in PM2.5 concentration. Indonesia appeared as the most air polluted country in the subregion. While Phillippines saw improvement in air quality in 2023, recording a 10% drop in its particulate matter concentration. Cambodia's air quality worsened, with its PM2.5 concentration tripling in 2023. The top 4 countries with the worst air pollution in the world in 2023 are from Central and South Asia. The region also has the most number of air polluted cities, with the top 10 most air polluted cities from India and Pakistan. 31% of the region's cities had 10 times higher particulate matter concertation, compared to the WHO limit.
Green Tech and Clean Energy Solutions for India's Air Pollution Crisis

The third most air polluted country in Asia, India, has the most number of cities out of the 100 air polluted cities in the world in 2023. The country's annual PM 2.5 concentration increased to 54.4 μg/m³ in 2023. Delhi, the National Capital Territory of India, witnessed a 10% increase in its PM 2.5 concentration, with a peak monthly average of 255 μg/m³. 66% of the country's cities report annual averages higher than 35 μg/m³.

A startup in India, called Takachar, is working towards reducing the air pollution associated with stubble and crop residue burning. It develops small-scale and portable equipment that converts crop residue into bio-products, such as fertilizers, fuel, or activated carbons. Takachar claims that up to 100 million tons of carbon dioxide can be reduced every year, by providing price-competitive renewable biobased active carbon, as an alternative to fossil-based activated carbon. Stubble burning is one of the major causes of smog and air pollution in the country, especially in rural areas. The company provides processing of a diverse variety of crop and forest residues and converts them into bioproducts with a wide range of agricultural applications

Another major reason for air pollution is the emissions and PM2.5 released from the burning of fossil fuels for conventional energy production. Many corporations in India are providing clean energy solutions. Some of the prominent names in the market include Adani Green Energy Ltd (NSE:ADANIGREEN) and Suzlon Energy Ltd (NSE:SUZLON). Let's discuss them below in detail.

Adani Green Energy Ltd (NSE:ADANIGREEN) is a leading renewable energy company in India. It develops and operates utility-scale grid-connected wind, solar, and hybrid renewable energy power generation plants. On April 3, the company announced that it has become the first corporation in India to have surpassed 10,000 MW of operational capacity. Its portfolio consists of 1,401 MW wind, 7,393 MW solar, and 2,140 hybrid capacity. The total operational portfolio of Adani Green Energy Ltd (NSE:ADANIGREEN) will be able to provide energy to over 5.8 million homes and avoid nearly 21 megatonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

Suzlon Energy Ltd (NSE:SUZLON) is another major name in the renewable energy market in India. The company has a wind energy capacity of nearly 20.5 GW across 17 countries, with 14.5 GW of wind energy assets in India. On March 7, the company announced that it has won an order for developing a 72.45 MW wind power project for a Delhi-based independent renewable energy provider, Juniper Green Energy Private Limited. Suzlon Energy Ltd (NSE:SUZLON) will deploy 23 wind turbine generators with a hybrid lattice tubular (HLT) tower, along with a rated capacity of 3.15 MW each at Juniper's site in Dwarka district, Gujrat.

Air pollution continues to affect millions of lives globally. Green technology initiatives are emerging as a strategic path to reduce GHG emissions and control air pollution. With this context, let's have a look at the 20 most air polluted cities in Asia. You can also look at

20 Most Air Polluted Cities in Asia

Kekyalyaynen / Shutterstock.com

Methodology

To compile our list of the 20 most air polluted cities in Asia, we consulted the IQ Air's Air Quality Index (AQI) live ranking. We have ranked the cities in ascending order of their Air Quality Index, as of April 22. We have also mentioned the PM2.5 and other pollutant concentrations of the cities, where available. For cities with the same AQI, we have used their PM2.5 concentration to break the tie.
20 Most Air Polluted Cities in Asia
20. Shanghai, China

Live Air Quality Index (2024): 83

Shanghai is ranked among the 20 most air polluted cities in Asia. As of April 22, the city has an AQI index of 83. The PM2.5 concentration in the city is 27.5 μg/m³.
19. Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Live Air Quality Index (April 20, 2024): 84

Dubai ranks 19th on our list. The major air pollutant in the city is PM10. Its PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations are 29 μg/m³ and 132.9 μg/m³, respectively.
18. Yangon, Myanmar

Live Air Quality Index (2024): 86

Yangon is one of the most air polluted cities in Asia. The city has a particulate matter concentration of 35.9 μg/m³, which is 7.9 times higher than the WHO standard.
17. Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Live Air Quality Index (2024): 88

Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan. As of April 22, the city has an air quality index of 88. Its PM2.5 concentration is 29 μg/m³. It is ranked 17th on our list.
16. Karachi, Pakistan

Live Air Quality Index (2024): 94

Karachi is the largest city in Pakistan. The city has an air quality index of 94, as of April 22. The PM2.5 concentration in Karachi is 29.5 μg/m³, which is 5.9 times higher than the air quality standards set by the WHO.
15. Kolkata, India

Live Air Quality Index (2024): 95

Kolkata is one of the most air polluted cities in Asia. The city has a PM2.5 concentration of 33 μg/m³ and an AQI of 95, as of April 22.
14. Astana, Kazakhstan

Live Air Quality Index (2024): 99

The capital of Kazakhstan, Astana is ranked 14th on our list. It has a particulate matter concentration of 33 μg/m³. Its air quality index is 99, as of April 22.
13. Kuwait City, Kuwait

Live Air Quality Index (2024): 102

Kuwait City is ranked 13th on our list of the most air polluted cities in Asia. The PM2.5 concentration in the city is 36 μg/m³, which is over 7 times higher than the WHO PM2.5 guideline.
12. Manama, Bahrain

Live Air Quality Index (2024): 102

Manama is the capital and one of the largest cities in Bahrain. As of April 22, the city has an AQI index of 102 and a PM2.5 concentration of 36 μg/m³. It is ranked 12th on our list.
11. Bangkok, Thailand

Live Air Quality Index (2024): 104

Bangkok ranks among the most polluted cities for air quality in Asia. As of April 22, the city has an AQI of 104. Its PM2.5 concentration is 34 μg/m³, which is 6.8 times higher than the WHO standard of 5 μg/m³ PM2.5 in the air.
10. Chengdu, China

Live Air Quality Index (2024): 107

Chengdu is ranked 10th on our list. The city has a PM2.5 concentration of 38 μg/m³ and a PM10 concentration of 73 μg/m³.
9. Doha, Qatar

Live Air Quality Index (2024): 112

Doha is the capital of Qatar. As of April 22, the city has an air quality index of 112. Its PM2.5 concentration is 50 μg/m³. It is one of the most air polluted cities in Asia.
8. Medan, Indonesia

Live Air Quality Index (2024): 114

Medan is the capital of North Sumatra, Indonesia. It has a PM2.5 concentration of 41 μg/m³, which is over 8 times higher than the air quality standards.
7. Dhaka, Bangladesh

Live Air Quality Index (2024): 118

Dhaka is ranked 7th on our list. As of April 22, the city has an air quality index of 118. Its particulate matter concentration is 46.7 μg/m³.
6. Delhi, India

Live Air Quality Index (2024): 134

Delhi is ranked 6th on our list of the most air polluted cities in Asia. The major air pollutant in the city is PM10. The concentration of PM2.5 and PM10 in Delhi is 43 μg/m³ and 210 μg/m³, respectively.

Where has the dirtiest air in the US? Report ranks cities with best and worst air quality.

Eduardo Cuevas and Krystal Nurse, USA TODAY
Sat, April 27, 2024 



A new report revealed concerning findings about America's air, but some cities are doing better than others.

As part of the report, the American Lung Association ranked the 10 best and worst metropolitan areas for air pollution. While the best cities are scattered all over the U.S., the West Coast saw some of the worst rankings.

The report looked at daily and annual fine particulate matter averages and ozone pollution regulated under the Clear Air Act. Nearly 2 in 5 Americans live in areas that had a failing grade for at least one air pollution measure, the report stated.

Read more: Report says U.S. air pollution worst in 25 years as new environmental regulations finalized

“We're seeing the most days and the ‘very unhealthy’ or ‘hazardous’ air quality level due to spikes in particle pollution,” Paul Billings, ALA’s senior vice president of public policy, told USA TODAY.
'No safe level to particle pollution'

The below rankings focus on fine particulate matter, or PM 2.5, which created when things are burned. It can cause asthma attacks, strokes and a litany of long term health problems.

“There is no safe level to particle pollution,” Dr. Kari Nadeau, the John Rock professor of climate and population studies at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told USA TODAY. “We were not meant to breathe this in as humans.”

The pollutants increase the risk of cardiovascular problems such as heart failure and arrhythmia, as well as respiratory ailments such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Breathing in high levels of particulate matter in the long term has been linked to brain damage that puts people at higher risk of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias.
Top ten US metro areas with worst air pollution: West Coast air gets bad marks

The western U.S. experienced the bulk of its pollution from roadways, agriculture, oil and gas industries and seemingly endless wildfires.

Bakersfield, Fresno and Visalia – hubs for agricultural production, shipping and warehouses where the population is predominantly Latino – make up the top five cities in each of the report’s measures for 24-hour particle pollution, year-round particle pollution and ground-level ozone pollution.

Other metro areas included are: Eugene-Springfield, Oregon; Los Angeles-Long Beach; Sacramento-Roseville; Medford-Grants Pass, Oregon; Phoenix-Mesa, Arizona; and Fairbanks, Alaska.

Dangerous smoke: Where is wildfire smoke and air quality at its worst? Here's a map of the entire US.
Top ten US metro areas with least air pollution: Residents skew white

Some of the communities with the best air quality included Bangor, Maine; Wilmington, North Carolina; and Honolulu. Except for Honolulu, most of the cities with the best air quality were majority white.

Areas with the least amount of particulate matter pollution include: Casper, Wyoming, Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, Hawaii; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Duluth, Minnesota-Wisconsin; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Anchorage, Alaska; and St. George, Utah.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Best and worst air in the US: Report ranks pollution in cities, metros