Topic
The measurement of pollutant concentrations in outdoor air and the monitoring, advisory and regulatory systems built around them.
NASA scientists say a drought tied to El Niño has primed the central and eastern Amazon for a long, severe fire season. On October 12, Manaus officials reported PM2.5 above 135 micrograms per cubic meter, the second-worst rating on a regional index.
Reality
Whether a forest's biogenic emissions cool the planet or warm it depends on the air they enter, and the aerosol term is loose enough that a carbon-only planting ledger cannot say which way a stand cuts.
Reality
A small, routinely active volcano between Java and Sumatra produced a day of explosive eruption whose effects on flying and on air quality took several days to clear, and the flight tally in circulation comes from news reports.
Reality
The Annenberg Public Policy Center surveyed 1,904 adults in early August and found the health-attribution figure level with 2024 and 2025, while knowledge of where to find a cooling center sat where it did a year ago.
Reality
A Science Advances study ties winter pollution across northern India to how often Mediterranean storm systems arrive. The storm count is itself linked to ocean temperature patterns visible the previous autumn.
Reality