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NOAA study finds reducing particulate air pollution in N America & Europe increases hurricanes in N Atlantic

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A new NOAA study covering four decades of tropical cyclones found that reducing particulate air pollution in Europe and North America has contributed to an increase in the number of tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic basin and a decrease in the number of these storms in the Southern Hemisphere. Credit: NOAA.

Pollution 370
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UCL-led study finds climate impact caused by growing space industry needs urgent mitigation

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The rapidly growing space industry may have a greater climate effect than the aviation industry and undo repair to the protective ozone layer if left unregulated, according to a new study led by UCL and published in the journal Earth’s Future as an open-access paper. —Ryan et al. —Ryan et al.

Climate 428
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Study finds half of the world’s population exposed to increasing air pollution

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A team of researchers, led by Professor Gavin Shaddick at the University of Exeter, has shown that, despite global efforts to improve air quality, half of the world’s population is exposed to increasing air pollution. In some regions, sand and desert dust, waste burning and deforestation are additional sources of air pollution.

Pollution 259
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EPHA: Coronavirus threat greater for polluted cities; clean air returning to cities in lockdown

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Those living in polluted cities are more at risk from COVID-19, the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) warned today. Air pollution can cause hypertension, diabetes and respiratory diseases, conditions that doctors are starting to link to higher mortality rates for COVID-19. The European Respiratory Society (ERS) is an EPHA member.

Pollution 269
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York study: Less traffic in first UK lockdown reduced NO2 pollution but caused increase in surface ozone

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Less traffic on the roads during the first COVID-19 lockdown in the UK led to a reduction in air pollution but may have caused potentially damaging surface ozone levels to rise, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of York. The 25–75% range is shown by the shaded area. —Professor Lee.

Ozone 397
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Fuel cell industry forms new alliance for rapid deployment of heavy-duty vehicles in Western US: WSHA

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Members of the hydrogen and fuel cell industry formally announced a new alliance to effect rapid deployment of zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks, buses, locomotives, vessels, aircraft and off-road equipment throughout the Western United States. That fact is indisputable. —WSHA Executive Director Roxana Bekemohammadi.

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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. For comparison, columns over the same time periods are shown for 2019. —Jenny Stavrakou.

Ozone 291