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.
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, … Read more
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 … Read more
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 … Read more
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 … Read more
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 … Read more
Every year, spring’s blossoms bring with them 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 masks … Read more
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 … Read more
A Smart Air analysis of new air quality data Beijing’s PM2.5 pollution dropped 11% in 2019 from the year before. Combined with progress in earlier years, Beijing has cut its PM2.5 in half compared to 2014. Beijing’s improvement suggests that the 2013-2017 Clean Air Action Plan, with its tens of … Read more
A Smart Air analysis of 2019 air pollution data found that Shanghai’s PM2.5 improvement has stalled out, actually increasing by 3% over 2018. A tally of “good” air dropped by 9.3% in 2019. In 2018, 32% of days in Shanghai qualified as “good”. In 2019, that dropped to 23%. Daily … Read more
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 … Read more
