Hong Kong doesn’t come to mind when people think of air pollution. However, the data tells a different story–one that has important implications for Hong Kongers’ health. Hong Kong’s Air Pollution in Numbers I just analyzed data on Hong Kong’s pollution data and found that PM2.5 averaged 30 micrograms in 2018. Here’s how that compares to […]
Tag: health
Do Air Purifiers Remove PM2.5?
When I was coughing through Beijing’s airpocalypse and thinking about buying an air purifier, I wanted to know something first–do air purifiers really remove PM2.5? I wondered because I saw lots of air purifier tests on pollen, but pollen is generally 10 microns or larger, whereas I was really concerned about the stuff […]
How’s the air quality in Bangkok? See the data
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, and here’s what I found: […]
Did Mumbai’s Air Quality Improve in 2018?
Smart Air analysed Mumbai’s PM2.5 air quality data provided by the US Consulate. What we found was that Mumbai’s PM2.5 levels increased 15% in 2018, giving much poorer air quality than the previous year. These higher air pollution levels push Mumbai’s annual PM2.5 average to more than seven times the World Health Organization’s annual limit of […]
Do masks really work in India’s air pollution?
Every year when winter rolls around, a billion people in India are left breathing toxic, polluted air when on the streets. Be it in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata or Hyderabad, everyone is forced to become experts in a complicated scientific question to cope with the pollution: Do air pollution masks work? I’ve heard doubts from smart, […]
A one-stop guide to protecting yourself from air pollution
So you’ve found yourself a city with bad air pollution – perhaps you’re in Beijing, Bangalore or Bangkok? Or try Delhi, Ulaanbaatar or Shanghai? You’ve heard of air pollution, but what is it, how does it affect our health and what guide should you follow to keep air pollution from cutting years off your life? […]
35 healthy Shanghai college students used a purifier for 48 hours. Here’s what happened to their bodies
Does air pollution affect the health of young people with no symptoms? Let’s start with three things we know about the science behind air pollution and one really important thing we don’t know. 1. We know that purifiers reduce PM2.5 Loads of tests have found this in labs and in real-world homes. I’ve tested […]
Does AC Bring in PM2.5 air pollution?
It’s that time of year when Beijing is starting to sizzle, if this person roasting fish on her car is any indication. We’ve just turned our air conditioner on, and then we wonder: does our AC suck in air pollution? Although we’re roasting, air pollution doesn’t take a break during summer months: […]
Truth or Bullshit: Eating Broccoli Protects Against Pollution
Although many natural remedies are based more on intuition than science, a surprisingly rigorous set of studies from different research labs is finding that eating broccoli helps our bodies fight the effects of air pollution. Scientists have isolated the compound thought to help the body remove pollutants like benzene and fight inflammation. The compound, sulforaphane, […]
Which Gym in Beijing has the Safest Air?
Even though PM2.5 levels are falling, years of bad air pollution across China has led to many people installing air purifiers in their homes. Most of us are now breathing cleaner air at home, but what about when we are in public spaces? What’s the air like in that gym we go to, or in […]
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