All articles tagged with #iqair
Wildfire smoke from northwestern Ontario blankets Toronto, with IQAir naming the city’s air quality the worst in the world; the haze extends into the northeastern United States, triggering health warnings and evacuations as Canada reports roughly 800 active fires (hundreds out of control) and forecasts suggest smoky conditions could persist into Thursday.
Washington, DC faced a Code Red air-quality alert after a 40-minute Fourth of July fireworks display pushed pollutants to very unhealthy levels, with IQAir ranking DC among the world’s worst air quality; health officials warned seniors and people with medical conditions to limit outdoor exposure, hospitals logged patient contacts, and rain was forecast to help cleanse the air, while organizers eyed a possible world-record milestone.
Delhi's air quality has deteriorated to severe levels, with pollution reaching 30-35 times the WHO's safe limit. The city's AQI has hit 500, indicating hazardous conditions due to factors like vehicular emissions and crop stubble burning. The smog is affecting visibility and health, with 81% of families reporting pollution-related health issues. Despite the Delhi government's Graded Response Action Plan, the city remains the world's most polluted capital, highlighting the need for stricter environmental regulations.
Columbus has been ranked as the most polluted major city in the U.S. for the second year in a row, according to a report by IQAir. The city's fine particulate matter (PM2.5) levels exceed World Health Organization guidelines, with ozone pollution being a significant concern during the summer months. The United States experienced increased pollution levels due to Canadian wildfires, while some major cities saw a decrease. Globally, countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India, as well as cities in India, were among the most polluted areas.
Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, has been ranked as the most polluted city in the world by Swiss air quality technology company IQAir. The city consistently registers unhealthy air pollution levels, with recent measurements showing PM 2.5 pollutants 13.4 times higher than the safe level recommended by the World Health Organization. President Joko Widodo has proposed relocating the capital city to Nusantara as a solution to the issue. Jakarta residents have long complained about toxic air, leading to a civil lawsuit in 2021 that demanded government action. Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous country, is currently in its dry season, which exacerbates air pollution.
A new report from IQAir reveals that only six countries met the World Health Organization's recommendations of safe air pollutant levels, and about 90% of the global population in 2022 experienced unhealthy air quality. The report found that the top five most polluted countries in 2022 were Chad, Iraq, Pakistan, Bahrain, and Bangladesh. The most polluted cities globally were Lahore, Pakistan; Hotan, China; Bhiwadi, India; Delhi, India; and Peshawar, Pakistan. Air pollution takes more than two years off the average global life expectancy, and 60% of particulate matter air pollution comes from fossil fuel combustion.
Only 13 countries and regions met the World Health Organization's guidelines for healthy air quality last year, according to a report by Swiss technology company IQAir. The report examined air data from over 30,000 stations and sensors monitoring air quality from 7,323 cities across 131 countries, regions, and territories. PM2.5, a fine particulate matter that can harm people's health, was found to be the highest in countries and territories in Africa and Central and South Asia. The WHO's air quality guidelines, implemented in 2021, were not met by 118 countries, or about 90% of those examined.