Certain groups of people may have twice the risk of dying from a heart attack during heat waves and high levels of fine particulate pollution, according to a new study published in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association (AHA). Researchers analyzed the specifics of over 202,000 heart attacks that occurred in the Chinese province of … Read more
Traffic warden Rai Rogers mans his street corner during an 8-hour shift under the hot sun in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 12, 2023, where temperatures reached 106 degrees amid an ongoing heatwave. More than 50 million Americans are set to bake under dangerously high temperatures this week, from California to Texas to Florida, as … Read more
As a warming Earth simmered into worrisome new territory this week, scientists said the unofficial records being set for average planetary temperature were a clear sign of how pollutants released by humans are warming their environment. But the heat is also just one way the planet is telling us something is gravely wrong, they said. “Heat sets … Read more
A northerly to northwesterly flow over dozens of wildfires in southern Canada will help to usher in smoke over the Northeast and Great Lakes on Thursday, with health alerts already in effect for many communities. More than 120 million Americans were under air quality alerts on Wednesday that stretched over 1,000 miles from Iowa to Massachusetts and down through the … Read more
Before last Wednesday, Lizzie Stoldt, a 27-year-old Manhattan publicist, had barely given a thought to New York City’s air quality. “I had heart surgery when I was younger, and even I had no idea air quality was something I should be concerned with,” she said. But as the skies turned smoky over the Big Apple … Read more
Hospitals in New York City are reporting a sharp increase in ER visits for asthma and other respiratory problems due to smoke from Canadian wildfires. “At Lenox Health Greenwich Village, for example, the number of asthma treatments were more than double the average,” a spokesperson for Northwell Health told NBC News 4. The air quality … Read more
The AirCare app shows air pollution, active fires, wind conditions and pollen levels on a map. CNBC While air quality in North America and Europe improved over the last decade thanks to stricter environmental regulations, extreme weather and record wildfires have raised new air pollution concerns. This week, smoke from wildfires in Quebec and Ontario … Read more
Four Big Apple zoos closed Wednesday and animals were moved indoors — as a hazardous orange haze of wildfire smoke suffocated the city, officials said. The Bronx, Central Park, Queens, and Prospect Park zoos shuttered at 3 p.m. for the safety of staffers and critters as unhealthy air pollution levels spiked, officials said. “We have been … Read more
Houseplants are a classic decorating tool, but leafy indoor greenery might also be good for you. The health benefits of plants, some scientists say, can include removing toxins such as benzene — a volatile organic compound in gasoline that’s known to cause cancer — from indoor air. And with air quality — especially in the … Read more
Scientists have found “alarmingly high” concentrations of potentially toxic particles in the air in New York City subway stations. New York University researchers surveyed 271 platforms in December 2021 and found levels of airborne iron particles were a staggering 126 times more than the outdoor average, according to a paper published last month in the … Read more