Analyzing air quality data from the Berkeley Earth Project, Smart Air found that Bangalore’s air quality worsened by 7% in 2018 compared to 2017. This puts Bangalore at about 4 times the World Health Organization’s annual limit. Bangalore Air Pollution by Month Breaking down the data by month helps reveal exactly when air pollution […]
Category: Air Pollution
Is Beijing or Delhi air worse?
Beijing and Delhi often make headlines for air polluted cities, but which city has worse air? I wanted to get some hard numbers on how the two cities’ air quality compare. The Data To do that, I analyzed PM2.5 data from the US Embassies in Delhi and government monitors in Beijing from 2015 to […]
Smart Air Provides Clean Air to Automobile Giant Ford
Right after moving to their new office in the Chimes building in Gurgaon, Ford India was experiencing problems with outdoor particulate pollution (PM2.5) and chemicals (VOCs) off-gassing from new furniture, carpets, paints, and other remodeling work. To tackle these problems and protect the health of their staff, Ford India reached out to Smart Air in […]
What is PM0.3 and Why Is It Important?
What does “PM” mean? PM stands for particulate matter, which refers to particles in the air. These particles can be solids (like dust) or liquids (like drops of water). Some common sources of PM are car exhaust, smoke from coal-fired power plants, pollen spores, and dust from construction sites. Sometimes you’ll see “PM” followed […]
What is the difference between the PM2.5 and AQI measurements?
There are some good answers here Richard Muller and Sandeep Chowdary. I’ll add a bit more explanation about PM 2.5 AQIs and a funny quirk about how they are calculated using stepwise linear functions. How is PM 2.5 AQI calculated? (Note: this is for the US AQI scale. We’ll be discussing different countries’ scales […]
PM10 vs PM2.5 – The Difference in Particle Air Pollution
Does size matter? The difference between PM10 and P 2.5 is size. But let me back up. “PM” refers to particulate matter—particles in the air. Those particles are things like organic dust, airborne bacteria, construction dust, and coal particles from power plants (for example, check out this study from researchers in Shanghai who analyzed what […]
Is China to blame for Seoul’s air pollution?
Air pollution is a serious problem in Seoul, which South Koreans have often blamed China for. Is that fact or a convenient scapegoat? After all, Seoul is a densely populated, developed city that depends on coal power plants. South Korea certainly has its own sources of pollution. To get to the bottom of it, I […]
Is China to blame for Seoul’s air pollution? – Supplemental Data
This article includes supplemental data for the main article “Is China to blame for Seoul’s air pollution?” This supplemental data will show how high and low wind speeds affect the PM2.5 levels. Ultimately, this supplemental article draws the same conclusion as the main article. Does wind speed affect PM2.5? What if particulate matter can […]
How Bad is the Air Pollution in Seoul?
How bad is the air pollution in Seoul, South Korea? On the one hand, Seoul is a modern, developed place, which means it shouldn’t be that bad. On the other hand, news media have reported several bad smog attacks in the last year. I wanted to get some hard numbers on it, so I analyzed […]
Pollen Season’s Here: How to Breathe Safe
Spring is in full bloom, and that means “April Snow” is at its peak. But what exactly is this white fluff in the air? The white fluff in the air is a combination of pollen and catkin. Most people know what pollen is – a fine powdery substance of microscopic grains discharged from flowers. The […]