Air pollution studies
suggest that almost nowhere on
Earth is safe
In a recent study of daily ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) across the globe, Australian and Chinese researchers found that only a tiny portion of the global population is exposed to levels of PM2.5 below those recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). The study, published in The Lancet Planetary Health, finds that more than 70% of days globally see levels above what is considered safe.
F
Yuming Guo from Monash University, used traditional air quality monitoring observations, satellite-based meteorological and air pollution ine particles (less than 2.5 µm in
detectors, and statistical and machine learning
diameter) come from motor vehicle exhaust,
methods to more accurately assess PM 2.5
the burning of fuels by power plants and other
concentrations globally.
industries, and forest and grass fires — but a
“We used an innovative machine learning
lack of pollution monitoring stations globally
approach to integrate multiple meteorological
for air pollution has until now meant a lack
and geological information to estimate the global
of data on local, national, regional and global
surface-level daily PM2.5 concentrations at a high
PM2.5 exposure. The new study, led by Professor
spatial resolution of approximately 10 km x 10
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