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Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Report reveals 2024's most polluted cities, countries: Which US cities made the list?
The South Asian countries of Pakistan, India and Bangladesh are among the most polluted countries in the world while Australia, New Zealand and Iceland are among the least polluted countries, a new study by IQAir had determined. IQAir, a Swiss technology company that studies air quality and pollution and specializes in protection against airborne pollutants, released its seventh annual World Air Quality Report Tuesday, which highlighted "alarming trends of the world's most polluted countries, territories, and regions in 2024." All but one of the world's top 20 most polluted cities last year were in Asia, with the majority of these cities – 13 – in India, the world's most populous country. Neighboring Pakistan followed with four of the most polluted cities, with China and Kazakhstan having one each. Data from more than 40,000 air quality monitoring stations across 8,954 locations in 138 countries, territories and regions were analyzed by IQAir's air quality scientists for this year's report, IQAir said. The Excerpt: Could the ocean be our solution to climate change? "Air pollution remains the greatest environmental threat to human health," the report said, adding 99% percent of the global population lives in areas that do not meet recommended air quality guideline levels, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Air pollution is also the second leading global risk factor for death, and the second leading risk factor for deaths among children under five, following malnutrition, because of its significant impact on respiratory and developmental health, as per the WHO. "Air pollution remains a critical threat to both human health and environmental stability, yet vast populations remain unaware of their exposure levels," Global CEO of IQAir Frank Hammes said in a statement. "Air quality data saves lives. It creates much needed awareness, informs policy decisions, guiding public health interventions, and empowers communities to take action to reduce air pollution and protect future generations." Only 17% of global cities meet WHO air pollution guidelines, with 126 countries and regions out of 138 exceeding the WHO annual PM2.5 guideline value of 5 micrograms/cubic meters. Here's a look at which countries and regions are the most polluted and which are the least, including in the United States. While Ontario, California was the most polluted city in the U.S. in 2024, the most polluted major U.S. city was Los Angeles, according to the report. In fact, the top five most polluted cities in the U.S. were in California. Here a list of the 10 most polluted cities in the U.S.: Ontario, California Bloomington, California Huntington Park, California San Bernardino, California Fontana, California Visalia, California Mission, Texas Glendora, California Hanford, California Conroe, Texas Map: How is the air quality near me? Track AQI in the U.S. Seattle, Washington was the cleanest major city in the U.S., though Waimea, Hawaii was the least polluted regional city in the U.S., which overall ranked 116 on the World Air Quality Report 2024. Here a list of the 10 least polluted cities in the U.S.: Waimea, Hawaii Ocean View, Hawaii Seaside, California Stanwood, Washington Mountain View, Hawaii Lander, Wyoming Astoria, Oregon Tillamook, Oregon Silverdale, Washington Kihei, Hawaii The twenty most polluted countries in the world are: Chad: More than 18 times higher than the WHO PM2.5 annual guideline. Bangladesh: More than 15 times higher than the WHO PM2.5 annual guideline. Pakistan: More than 14 times higher than the WHO PM2.5 annual guideline. Democratic Republic of the Congo: More than 11 times higher than the WHO PM2.5 annual guideline. India: More than 10 times higher than the WHO PM2.5 annual guideline. Tajikistan Nepal Uganda Rwanda Burundi Nigeria Egypt Iraq Ghana Indonesia Gambia United Arab Emirates Bahrain Uzbekistan Qatar Byrnihat in eastern India was the most polluted metropolitan area of 2024, with India home to six of the nine most polluted global cities. The region of Central and South Asia, meanwhile, is home to the top seven most polluted cities in the world. Here's a list of the 10 most polluted cities in the world: Byrnihat, India Delhi, India Karaganda, Kazakhstan Mullanpur, India Lahore, Pakistan Faridabad, India N'Djamena, Chad Loni, India New Delhi, India Multan, Pakistan Only seven countries met WHO's annual average PM2.5 guideline. These include: Australia Bahamas Barbados Estonia Grenada Iceland New Zealand The cleanest cities in the world in 2024 include: Mayaguez, Puerto Rico Nieuwoudtville, South Africa Dexter, Oregon, U.S. Haines, Alaska, U.S. Chu, Kazakhstan Hawaiian Ocean View, Hawaii, U.S. Waimea, Hawaii, U.S. Volcano, Hawaii, U.S. Emu River, Australia Kapaau, Hawaii, U.S. While there has been notable progress in expanding air quality monitoring across various countries, regions, and territories over the past 12 months with low-cost air quality monitors — used by citizen scientists, researchers, community advocates, and local organizations — proven to be effective tools for data collection, "considerable gaps still exist in government-operated regulatory systems in many parts of the world," IQAir said. For example, in Africa, real-time, publicly accessible air quality monitoring data is so scarce that there is only one monitoring station for every 3.7 million people. "The World Air Quality Report underscores how this urgent, data-driven approach is crucial in driving policy changes and collective efforts to reduce pollution for future generations," IQAir said in its report. Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@ and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New report reveals 2024's most polluted countries and cities
The Independent
11-03-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Only 17% of global cities had safe air in 2024, air quality report finds
Less than one-fifth of the cities worldwide met the international criteria for clean air in 2024, a global study has found. The IQAir World Air Quality Report, which analysed data from over 40,000 air quality monitoring stations across 8,954 locations in 138 countries, found that only 17 per cent of cities met the World Health Organisation's (WHO) annual PM2.5 guideline of 5 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³). The vast majority of the world's population continues to breathe unsafe air, with pollution levels far exceeding recommended limits in most regions. The study found that 126 of the 138 countries analysed – 91.3 per cent – exceeded the WHO guideline, with several recording pollution levels more than ten times the safe limit. The most polluted country was Chad, which had an annual PM2.5 concentration of 91.8 µg/m³, 18 times higher than the WHO threshold. Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and India also topped the list of countries with the worst air pollution. India, in particular, saw extreme levels of pollution, with six of the world's nine most polluted cities. The country's capital, Delhi, remained the world's most polluted capital, with an annual PM2.5 average of 91.8 µg/m³. The most polluted metropolitan area globally was Byrnihat, India, which recorded an alarming PM2.5 level of 128.2 µg/m³ – more than 25 times the WHO guideline. By contrast, just seven countries met the WHO's air quality standard. Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Estonia, Grenada, Iceland, and New Zealand all maintained average PM2.5 levels at or below 5 µg/m³, making them the cleanest places to live in 2024. The least polluted metropolitan area in the study was Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, which had an annual PM2.5 concentration of just 1.1 µg/m³. In the US, Los Angeles was the most polluted major city, while Seattle had the cleanest air among large American cities. Ontario, California recorded the highest pollution levels in the country. In Europe, Bosnia and Herzegovina remained the most polluted nation, with PM2.5 levels averaging 25.3 µg/m³, five times the WHO limit. The study also highlighted regional pollution trends, with some areas seeing slight improvements. In Southeast Asia, PM2.5 concentrations declined across all countries, though transboundary haze from wildfires and agricultural burning continues to affect air quality. In Africa, where pollution levels are among the highest in the world, monitoring remains a major challenge. The report found that the continent has only one air quality monitoring station for every 3.7 million people, making it difficult to track pollution accurately or implement effective solutions. 'Air pollution remains a critical threat to both human health and environmental stability, yet vast populations remain unaware of their exposure levels,' said Frank Hammes, Global CEO of IQAir. 'Air quality data saves lives. It creates much-needed awareness, informs policy decisions, guides public health interventions, and empowers communities to take action to reduce air pollution and protect future generations.' In Latin America, wildfires in the Amazon rainforest had a severe impact on air quality. PM2.5 levels in some cities across Brazil's Rondônia and Acre states quadrupled in September, driving pollution to hazardous levels. Oceania remained the cleanest region globally, with more than half of its cities meeting the WHO air quality guideline. Health pollution is the second leading risk factor for deaths globally, responsible for 8.1 million deaths in 2021, a 2024 report by the Health Effects Institute (HEI) found. Another study found that a ir pollution caused around 135 million premature deaths worldwide in the past four decades. Apart from respiratory threats, a study published in Nature Communications also found that even brief exposure to air pollution can affect our brain's ability to make decisions and focus on work. Environmental groups are calling for stronger air quality regulations and urgent action to curb emissions. 'The World Air Quality Report, which compiles measurements of air pollution from around the globe, should be a rallying call for urgent and concerted international efforts to cut pollutant emissions,' said Aidan Farrow, Senior Air Quality Scientist at Greenpeace International. 'By highlighting the disproportionate risk posed to young people by air pollution, the report reminds us that a failure to act today will be felt by future generations, while frequent references to human activities like coal burning and deforestation are a reminder that air quality, climate change, and the world that will be inherited by our children are inextricably linked.'
The Guardian
11-03-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Only seven countries worldwide meet WHO dirty air guidelines, study shows
Nearly every country on Earth has dirtier air than doctors recommend breathing, a report has found. Only seven countries met the World Health Organization's guidelines for tiny toxic particles known as PM2.5 last year, according to analysis from the Swiss air quality technology company IQAir. Australia, New Zealand and Estonia were among the handful of countries with a yearly average of no more than 5µg of PM2.5 per cubic metre, along with Greenland and some small island states. The most polluted countries were Chad, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and India. PM2.5 levels in all five countries were at least 10 times higher than guideline limits in 2024, the report found, stretching as much as 18 times higher than recommended levels in Chad. Doctors say there are no safe levels of PM2.5, which is small enough to slip into the bloodstream and damage organs throughout the body, but have estimated millions of lives could be saved each year by following their guidelines. Dirty air is the second-biggest risk factor for dying after high blood pressure. 'Air pollution doesn't kill us immediately – it takes maybe two to three decades before we see the impacts on health, unless it's very extreme,' said Frank Hammes, CEO of IQAir. '[Avoiding it] is one of those preventative things people don't think about till too late in their lives.' The annual report, which is in its seventh year, highlighted some areas of progress. It found the share of cities meeting the PM2.5 standards rose from 9% in 2023 to 17% in 2024. Air pollution in India, which is home to six of the 10 dirtiest cities in the world, fell by 7% between 2023 and 2024. China's air quality also improved, part of a long-running trend that saw the country's extreme PM2.5 pollution fall by almost half between 2013 and 2020. The air quality in Beijing is now almost the same as in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The latter was the most polluted city in Europe for the second year running, the report found. Zorana Jovanovic Andersen, an environmental epidemiologist at the University of Copenhagen, who was not involved in the report, said the results highlighted some chilling facts about air pollution. 'Huge disparities are seen even within one of the cleanest continents,' she said. 'Citizens of eastern European and non-EU Balkan countries breathe the most polluted air in Europe, and there is a 20-fold difference in PM2.5 levels between the most and least polluted cities.' Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion Governments could clean their air with policies such as funding renewable energy projects and public transport; building infrastructure to encourage walking and cycling; and banning people from burning farm waste. To create the ranking, the researchers averaged real-time data on air pollution, measured at ground level, over the course of the calendar year. About one-third of the units were run by governments and two-thirds by non-profits, schools and universities, and private citizens with sensors. Air quality monitoring is worse in parts of Africa and west Asia, where several countries were excluded from the analysis. Poor countries tend to have dirtier air than rich ones but often lack measuring stations to inform their citizens or spur policy changes. Roel Vermeulen, an environmental epidemiologist at Utrecht University, who was not involved in the report, said biases were most likely in data-poor areas with few regulated monitoring stations – particularly as satellite measurements were not used for the analysis – but that the values presented for Europe were in line with previous research. 'Virtually everyone globally is breathing bad air,' he said. 'What brings it home is that there are such large disparities in the levels of exposure.'
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
IQAIR TO RELEASE 2024 WORLD AIR QUALITY REPORT, REVEALING CHANGES TO GLOBAL AIR QUALITY AND ITS HEALTH IMPACTS
STEINACH, Switzerland, Feb. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On Tuesday, March 11, IQAir will release its highly anticipated 7th annual World Air Quality Report, offering an in-depth analysis of global air pollution trends in 2024. With air pollution remaining the single greatest threat to human and environmental health, this report will uncover troubling new insights about PM2.5 air pollution worldwide. WHAT: IQAir's 7th annual World Air Quality Report presents a detailed global air pollution analysis, tracking exposure to harmful PM2.5 air pollution across 138 countries, territories, and regions, spanning 8,956 locations. The report is based on data from more than 40,000 air quality monitoring stations worldwide, offering the most comprehensive snapshot of global air pollution to date. WHEN: The 2024 World Air Quality Report will be publicly released on Tuesday, March 11, at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time (04:00 UTC). Credentialed journalists can request embargoed access to the report and interviews ahead of the release. WHY: IQAir's latest findings reveal millions of people continue to breathe polluted air, endangering their health and well-being. The 2024 World Air Quality Report will analyze: The most polluted countries and cities of 2024 The percentage of countries meeting the World Health Organization's (WHO) annual PM2.5 guideline The impact of 2024 weather trends on global air pollution How data was collected and analyzed to uncover key trends Potential solutions individuals, groups, and governments can take to tackle air pollution problems WHERE: The full 2024 World Air Quality Report will be available at after the embargo lifts. Embargoed findings and interviews can be requested before the official release. WHO: The following are available for media interviews on report findings and health impacts of air pollution: Frank Hammes, Global CEO, IQAir Glory Dolphin Hammes, CEO North America, IQAir Dr. Christi Chester Schroeder, Air Quality Science Manager, IQAir HOW: To request embargoed report findings or an embargoed interview, contact Armen Araradian at ABOUT IQAir: IQAir is a Swiss technology company that empowers individuals, organizations, and governments to improve air quality through information, collaboration, and intervention. For press inquiries, interviews, and media coverage please contact: Armen (562) 315-6010 View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE IQAir
