Weather conditions can have a significant impact on air quality. The amount of sun can affect how much ozone there is, and wind and rain can affect PM2.5 and particulate air pollution to varying degrees. In this topic, we explore the role of the weather and natural disasters on air pollution, from wind to wild fires and volcanoes.
Every year, spring’s blossoms bring with them a wave of pollen. For places like Beijing, it’s also the start of the ‘snowy season’, with the hundreds of willow trees producing their fluffy catkin friends and the sniffles that follow. But how can we avoid the uncomfortable coughing and sneezing? Which …
My intuition has always been that there is less air pollution at night because there are fewer cars on the road and fewer factories humming at that time of day. Pollution Time of Day Guesses Apparently, I’m not alone: 139 voted for their guess about what time of day has …
There is a common perception that rain can clear smoke and reduce air pollution. In fact, even the Indonesian government has urged people to pray for rain during severe smog episodes this year. Let’s delve into why this perception exists and explore whether rain truly does clear smoke and improve …
Winter air quality in India is hazardous, with PM2.5 pollution levels reach more than 10 times the World Health Organization’s annual limit. Hazy skies and pollution alerts have become the norm during India’s winters. But just why is this? Analyzing India’s Summer & Winter Pollution Levels Data analyzed by Smart …
When Smart Air polled people about what time of day air pollution is lowest, the most popular answer was the early morning, before the morning rush hour. But how accurate are our intuitions? To get to the bottom of it, Smart Air analyzed thousands of hours of PM2.5 data from …
How was Delhi’s air quality in 2021? Did Delhi’s air quality improve in 2021 compared to recent years? Delhi air quality has seen little improvement recently. Air pollution levels have hovered around 20x the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended limit for PM2.5 levels. Smart Air dove into the data to …
Bangkok saw some terrible air quality and high PM2.5 levels during the start of 2019, with news reports of schools closing and government limiting car usage. But just how bad is Bangkok’s air quality? I analyzed 2018’s PM2.5 data, provided by the Thailand Government monitor near the Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok, …
Smart Air’s analysis of Bangkok’s PM2.5 data (what is PM2.5?) finds Bangkok air pollution source varies systematically by season and time of day. Bangkok Average PM2.5 First, some basics. In 2020, Bangkok averaged 21 micrograms of PM2.5. That puts Bangkok just over two times the WHO annual limit. (Recently, the …
On paper, China’s “war” on air pollution is still underway. But with COVID-19 disrupting the first half of 2020, has air quality really improved? Smart Air analyzed PM2.5 data for 11 of China’s major cities to get to the bottom of it. The data showed average PM2.5 reduced 9% compared …
A Smart Air analysis of new air quality data found that pollution improved in 2019 in all major cities in india. Small PM2.5 particles in the air decreased from 2018 to 2019 by as much as 15.5%. Delhi Air Quality Even though all cities saw pollution decrease, Delhi saw just …
