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Wildfires are growing in size and intensity with climate change. Clearly the smoke from these fires has direct health consequences; however, some recent research shows that the concern goes beyond the smoke itself. Kelesidis and colleagues (2025) studied the impact of the 2023 Canadian wildfires on New York. They found that there were the expected … Continue reading
The world is warming through climate change but 2023 was warmer than predicted. This led to questions of why and Quaglia and Visioni (2024) think they have part of the answer. International shipping regulations came in in January 2020 that significantly reduced sulfate emissions. This is important because sulfate causes both risks for human health … Continue reading
We are just over a month out from July 1 (Canada) and July 4 (US) celebrations. Many of these include fireworks. And fireworks, according to new research by Saporito and colleagues (2024), contribute to temporary increases in both air and water pollution. Saporito and colleagues studied air and water pollution levels in New York City … Continue reading
Last week I got part way into my bike commute when I was hit by the weight of the smog. We had an air quality warning in the city for a number of days, but in some areas it was painful to breathe and in others it wasn’t noticeable. Urban air pollution is one of … Continue reading
You read that right, and no this is no get rich quick scheme. Air pollution from energy related industries in the US contributes to heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, and respiratory illness. Medical treatment of these conditions costs $600 billion annually and the conditions contribute to the deaths of 50,000 people. Mailloux et al (2022) … Continue reading
I’ve written before about the role of urban trees. They contribute to a number of positive outcomes. A newer area of research is whether the trees actually absorb air pollutants. Klingborn et al (2022) examined the levels of a specific type of pollutant in both deciduous (leafy) trees and coniferous (cone bearing) trees. They found … Continue reading
Every so often when I’m on my bike in traffic I wonder about the potential impacts of the air pollution I’m riding through. Do the benefits from riding override the negative health impacts of riding in poor air quality? Fortunately, Tainio et al (2016) asked this very question. They also included walking in their study … Continue reading
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