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Studies find global COVID-19 lockdowns have significantly reduced PM2.5 and NO2 pollution, but ozone up

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Levels of two major air pollutants have been reduced significantly since lockdowns began in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but a secondary pollutant—ground-level ozone—has increased in China, according to new research. Ozone is harmful to humans at ground-level, causing pulmonary and heart disease.

Ozone 291
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TOAR shows present-day global ozone distribution and trends relevant to health; public database

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Ozone levels across much of North America and Europe dropped significantly between 2000 and 2014. People living in parts of southern Europe, South Korea and southern Japan and China also experienced more than 15 days a year of ozone levels above 70 ppb. Trends in daily maximum ozone levels (known as 4MDA8) at urban and non-urban sites.

Ozone 255
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New statistical method to detect ozone pollution hot spots and monitor instrument failure; combining PCA and MEWMA

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A new statistical method developed by researchers at KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia) can detect abnormal ozone levels within large bodies of monitored data. The monitoring methods can quickly and accurately detect ozone anomalies—localized spikes in ozone concentration indicated by sensor data.

Ozone 150
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Study links ambient PM2.5 and ozone specifically caused by vehicle exhaust emissions to ~361,000 premature deaths worldwide in 2010 and ~385,000 in 2015

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and ozone deaths, associated mortality rates, and population in G20 economies in 2015. and ozone worldwide in 2010 and ~385,000 in 2015, equivalent to 11.7% and ozone premature deaths in 2010 and 11.4% and ozone concentrations from transportation emissions resulted in 7.8 Transportation-attributable PM 2.5 Together, PM 2.5

Ozone 230
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Study: air pollution causes 800,000 extra deaths a year in Europe and 8.8 million worldwide

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Air pollution could be causing double the number of excess deaths a year in Europe than has been estimated previously, according to a study published in the European Heart Journal. Air pollution caused twice as many deaths from CVD as from respiratory diseases. The researchers found that air pollution caused an estimated 8.8

Pollution 320
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Study Links Springtime Ozone Increases Above Western North America to Emissions in Asia

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Springtime ozone distributions for 1984, 1995–2008 in the mid-troposphere (3.0–8.0 Springtime ozone levels above western North America are rising primarily due to air flowing eastward from the Pacific Ocean, a trend that is largest when the air originates in Asia. The US EPA recently proposed new tougher ground-level ozone standards.

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Pollution plumes in Paris air are richer in gaseous aromatic compounds than in LA; gasoline engines main source of VOCs

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A study by a team of researchers from France and the US found that the origin of volatile hydrocarbons, other than methane, present in city air is mainly gasoline-powered vehicles. times greater than in Los Angeles due to the greater overall volatile hydrocarbon pollution in the latter city. Borbon, A., Gilman, W. Chevaillier, A.