Map Shows States With Highest Levels of Tiny, Toxic Air Pollution
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
California and Oregon are among the U.S. hotspots for dangerous submicron (PM1) air pollution—those with particles less than a micron, or a millionth of a meter wide—according to new research.
Researchers at Washington University of St. Louis have been quantifying the amount of submicron particles in the air across the country over the last 25 years.
The data, which calculated submicron estimates based on known rations of what makes up PM 2.5 particles (those less than 2.5 microns wide), suggest that many areas in the east of the contiguous U.S. contain hotspots.
Because PM1 pollution is much smaller than PM2.5 (and at least six times smaller than human blood cells), it has the potential to lead to even worse health effects, as it is small enough to slip past the body's defenses.
Parts of Arizona, California, Idaho, New Mexico, Oregon and Texas all appear to have higher concentrations of submicron particulate matter, shown by darker red areas on the researchers' map, as below.
A map of the U.S. showing the concentration of submicron particulate matter, with higher concentrations shown by darker red areas.
A map of the U.S. showing the concentration of submicron particulate matter, with higher concentrations shown by darker red areas.
Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group
Conversely, parts of Colorado, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming appear to have far fewer dark patches on the map, suggesting much lower levels of submicron particulate matter.
Parts of Arizona and New Mexico showed high concentration levels in some areas, and much lower levels among other regions of their respective state.
Higher concentrations of PM1 were found in major urban and industrial areas and areas affected by wildfires, highlighting the role of combustion sources in producing harmful particles. This contrasts with lower concentrations being prevalent across the arid west.
The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests that 99 percent of the global population breathes in air containing high levels of pollutants and exceeds the WHO guidelines. The combined effects of ambient air pollution with household air pollution are associated with 7 million premature deaths every year.
Both outdoor and indoor air pollution can cause respiratory diseases, as the small particles are able to get deep into the lungs or potentially even into the bloodstream.
Exposure to particle pollution can cause heart attacks, irregular heartbeat, aggravated asthma, decreased lung function, and difficulty breathing, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
According to Chi Li, assistant research professor and first author of the study, the small particles identified tend to come from direct air emissions, such as black carbon particles from diesel engines, or the smoke from wildfires.
PM1 can also form through secondary processes however, when sulfur dioxide or nitrogen oxides are spit out through fuel combustion and burning coal, Li noted.
The significance of pollution regulation should not be overlooked, as the dataset reveals that PM1 levels dropped sharply from 1998 to 2022, as a result of regulations such as the Clean Air Act of 1970.
Newsweek has contacted Li via email for comment.
Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about air pollution? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.
Reference
Li, C., Martin, R. V., Donkelaar, A. van, Jimenez, J. L., Zhang, Q., Turner, J. R., Liu, X., Rowe, M., Meng, J., Yu, W., & Thurston, G. D. (2025). Estimates of submicron particulate matter (PM1) concentrations for 1998–2022 across the contiguous USA: Leveraging measurements of PM1 with nationwide PM2·5 component data. The Lancet Planetary Health, 9(6). https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(25)00094-4
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Newsweek
Pregnant Woman Carrying Twins Has Ultrasound—Shock at What It Reveals
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A mom to be could barely believe what she was seeing when she went for an ultrasound to get a closer look at her unborn twins. Michelle de Bruijn, from Amsterdam in the Netherlands, was 14 weeks pregnant when she underwent the scan. What she saw in that brief moment brought tears to her eyes. "It was just so heartwarming to see that happening," De Bruijn told Newsweek. "This moment felt particularly meaningful because I chose to walk this journey solo." At age 39, De Bruijn decided to become a solo mother by choice (SMC). Today, a significant number of women are choosing to follow a similar path. Figures published on the website show that, in 2022, 54 percent of private customers at Cryos' Sperm and Egg Bank were SMCs. De Bruijn took a slightly different path, though, one that she said "wasn't straightforward." She added: "I received some pretty devastating news from my fertility doctors. They told me I had reduced fertility due to low Anti-Müllerian Hormone." AMH is the hormone produced by the ovaries that serves as an indication of the number of eggs a woman has. De Bruijn's results suggested a very low egg count. She was told she needed to start trying immediately. It could take "up to a year or possibly longer" to conceive. De Bruijn was devastated. "When I asked what I could do about it, they basically said, 'Nothing. This is it. And you're 39, so you're old," she said. "At that moment, my tears turned to anger." De Bruijn was determined to prove them wrong, so, rather than use a fertility clinic, she took "complete control" of her journey. She spent the next six months reading up on all things fertility and focusing on preparing her body for the process. "I became pregnant through donor conception with a known donor," De Bruijn said. "I also wanted full control over choosing my donor. I really wanted to get to know him personally, so I met my incredible donor through an app, basically Tinder for sperm donation." Incredibly, De Bruijn's approach paid dividends. "I got pregnant with twins on my first try," she said. "My due date is February 2, but, since I'm carrying twins, they'll likely arrive at least two weeks earlier." In most cases, discovering you were having twins would be a surprise, but not to De Bruijn. She had been carefully monitoring her Human Chorionic Gonadotropin and progesterone levels during her pregnancy and, having noticed both were high, knew there was a good chance. "By the time I got my first ultrasound around six weeks, I was pretty confident about what we'd find," De Bruijn said. "When they were confirmed as twins, I felt incredibly grateful. It felt magical, honestly." There was something equally magical to come at the recent ultrasound scan, though. De Bruijn has been sharing her journey to TikTok under the handle @iammichelledebruijn so she thought nothing of sharing the footage online. The post captures the sight that greeted her that day. Her two unborn babies were lying face to face, and then one of the two leaned in to give the other a kiss. "You just witnessed their first act of love," De Bruijn wrote on the video. That moment made her feel understandably emotional. It felt like a validation of her choice of donor. "I wanted someone who would be as committed, caring, and loving about this process as I am, and that's really hard to find," De Bruijn said. "When I eventually found that person, I knew this wasn't going to be just a transaction. These babies were made out of love, out of presence, out of care and intention. So, to witness these two little creatures expressing love to each other in the womb was just out of this world." De Bruijn is delighted the video of her special scan has gone viral, amassing over 184,000 views. She hopes that clip and the others she posts inspire other women to follow a similar fertility path. She said: "One diagnosis or one number said by a fertility doctor isn't a life sentence."
Newsweek
5 hours ago
- Newsweek
Newborn Was 'Normal Baby'—Then 5 Months Later Everything Changes
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Two U.K. parents who welcomed their newborn into the world had no idea their lives would change just a few months later. Conor Cross, 33, told Newsweek that he and Meredith Bradley, 31, thought the hardest part of their journey was behind them when they had their baby boy Reggie on September 28, 2024. The pregnancy had been complicated—marked by abnormal scan results; talk of possible termination; and a diagnosis of hypospadias, a congenital condition affecting the genitals. From left: Conor Cross holds newborn son, Reggie Cross in hospital; and father and son are pictured together months later. From left: Conor Cross holds newborn son, Reggie Cross in hospital; and father and son are pictured together months later. @conorruns But, after months of monitoring, Reggie was born "a normal baby," sleeping soundly, smiling and charming everyone he met. Then, just before Reggie turned 5 months, everything changed. Even before birth, Conor and Meredith knew he would need medical care. A raised nuchal translucency at the 12-week scan triggered a battery of tests, including a CVS, to rule out genetic syndromes. Reggie was cleared but monitored monthly. By birth, he had not only hypospadias but also undescended testes—raising the possibility he could have both male and female reproductive organs. Testing confirmed that he was genetically male. Soon after, another hurdle appeared: a recurring inguinal hernia that led to frequent hospital visits, including spending Christmas Day in the emergency room. Surgery in February 2025 to repair the hernia and bring down one testicle went smoothly, and Conor hoped his son's crying, discomfort and swelling would end. But the problems didn't stop. "Reggie became unsettled, [he] stopped taking his milk and the swelling didn't improve," Conor said. Reggie's eyes were swollen almost daily. The couple were desperate for answers, but doctors dismissed their concerns. "The response was that they didn't know what they'd be referring him for," Conor said. "It felt like we were going in circles, trying to convince people that something wasn't right." On March 1, after weeks of worsening symptoms, Conor pushed for further testing at Accident & Emergency (A & E). Blood work finally revealed the truth: Reggie was in complete kidney failure. By the next morning, they were rushed to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London via ambulance. At GOSH, doctors diagnosed Reggie with Stage V chronic kidney disease (CKD5). His kidneys were so damaged that they posed a cancer risk if not removed before his first birthday. He was immediately placed on peritoneal dialysis, running from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily. Further genetic investigation led to a diagnosis of Denys-Drash syndrome, a rare condition linking his kidney failure with other medical issues. "Although emotions were high and we wanted answers, we had to let the life of our baby go into their hands," Conor said. "Anyone who knows GOSH knows that he is in the best place [but] even five months on, we don't know everything." The hospital's support extended beyond Reggie's treatment. The family has received financial help, free accommodation, food vouchers and funding for a shed to store Reggie's medications. Charities such as Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity and Kidney Care UK stepped in to make daily life more manageable. Grateful for the care they received, Conor decided to give back—by taking on a half marathon, despite never having run before. "I wanted to do something that would be challenging," he said. "I also wanted to show people that, if there is something in life that you want to do, then do it. Life is too short, and time will not slow down just because Reggie is going through a difficult time." Conor's first race will be the Chelmsford Half Marathon in October 2025, with a London Marathon spot secured for 2026. Reggie, now nearly 1 year old but still in 3-to-6-month clothes, remains "the happiest boy ever," according to his dad. Reggie faces the removal of both kidneys in September, followed by years of dialysis until he is big enough for a transplant at age 3 or 4. Through his updates on TikTok (@conorruns), Conor hopes to reassure parents—especially those facing medical uncertainty. "Don't feel pressured into living up to other people's expectations," he said. Conor, who is now a single father, also wants other families in similar situations to know they are not alone. "Mothers out there are just pure superheroes. For the dads, especially single dads like me, I want to inspire them by sharing my fitness journey." "I thought running would have been something I did just to raise money for these amazing charities, but, in fairness, it has saved me from going down a dark path," Conor added. "Starting something new is the hardest part, but you will fully understand how helpful that one thing can be just by doing it."
Newsweek
19 hours ago
- Newsweek
Chimpanzee Communication Patterns Shaped by Mothers, Study Finds
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Human's closest living relatives, Chimpanzees, primarily learn their communicative patterns from their mothers and maternal relatives, according to a new study. Newsweek has reached out to the study's lead author for comment via email on Saturday. Why It Matters Humans and chimpanzees share an overwhelming majority of their DNA, a similarity that makes chimpanzees important for studying human biology, evolution, and behavior. The study finds that key aspects of chimpanzees' communication are shaped by social learning and interactions rather than strictly genetics, emphasizing the power of maternal influence. Since humans also learn communication behaviors from those they interact with most, the study's findings suggest this trait may date back to the common ancestor of both species nearly 8 million years ago. What To Know A study published this month in the PLOS Biology journal, found that young chimps mainly learn various vocal and visual patterns of communication from their mothers and maternal relatives. Over months, researchers observed around 60 chimps in Kibale National Park in Uganda. Chimpanzee mothers are the primary caregivers for their young until about age 10, providing what researchers describe as a "social template." The study found "variation in the number of vocal–visual combinations produced per communicative event in chimpanzees is predicted by maternal kinship, with individuals from the same matriline producing similar numbers of vocal–visual combinations to each other," noting that their patterns were not explained by their fathers or any paternal family members. A study last November found that chimp's social behavior is "contagious," meaning they are likely to mimic behavior of those around them. Studies often show how closely linked chimps and humans are, with a May study reporting on wild chimps self-medicating their wounds with plants as well as providing medical aid to other chimps in need. Several chimpanzees at the Barcelona Zoo are seen on August 5. Several chimpanzees at the Barcelona Zoo are seen on August 5. Europa Press via AP What People Are Saying Joseph Mine, lead researcher and a biologist at the University of Rennes in France, told NPR: "This fact that we acquire parts of our communication socially seems to be potentially a very ancient trait — a feature of our lineage for several million years." Cat Hobaiter, a primatologist at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, told NPR: "We're seeing such similarities across the ape species. My bet is that we would see something similar in gorillas and orangutans. Then we're talking about something that might be 16, 17 million years old — so long before humans were human, apes were learning socially from each other."
