Air pollution is a mix of particles and gases that can reach harmful concentrations both outside and indoors. Its effects can range from higher disease risks to rising temperatures.

At least one in four deaths of children under five, almost 1.7 million children, can be attributed to pollution, according to a newly released report from the World Health Organization (WHO).

This story appears in the April 2021 issue of National Geographic magazine. When COVID-19 began tearing around the globe, Francesca Dominici suspected air pollution was increasing the death toll.

Even before the coronavirus, air pollution killed seven million people a year. Will today's cleaner air inspire us to do better?

Urban development can magnify the risk of environmental hazards such as flash flooding. Pollution and physical barriers to ...

How can I protect myself from wildfire smoke? When air pollution reaches unsafe levels, people can take measures to mitigate the effects. The EPA offers guidance based on different air quality ...

This story appears in the October 2018 issue of National Geographic magazine. Air pollution kills seven million people a year. Two of the chief contributors are lax vehicle emissions standards and ...

Only in the past decade has research on air pollution and brain health intensified, he says, noting that how particles enter and coat the lungs is better understood.

Worsening air pollution globally is causing lung cancer rates to rise everywhere. A look at Taiwan, where a majority of new cases affects non-smokers, offers powerful lessons for the rest of the ...

An eight-year-old Chinese girl was diagnosed with lung cancer that has been attributed to pollution. It’s one more tragic case in the building evidence of how air quality can affect health.

WHO Report: Indoor Air Pollution Is Greatest Environmental Health Risk Worldwide, one in eight deaths is attributed to pollution—frequently from fuel burned indoors for cooking.

Three Quirky Projects Make Art Out Of China's Polluted Air Filthy air has inspired Chinese citizens to speak out—and in some cases, to create art.