Easter fires cause air pollutionunsplash.com / Georgiana Avram
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Traditional easter fires and their impact on local air quality

Stemming from pagan and clerical roots, Easter fires (also called Paschal fires) are part of German tradition. They are typically performed around sunset on Holy Saturday or on Easter Sunday. Because there is often a larger amount of these bonfires…
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The canary in the gold mine – early air quality detection

The story of the canary in the gold mine is one that is an important part of British History. Similarly, this expression, once part of an important discovery, can be said as the same thing as early air quality detection. What is the history…
Insurance and air qualityunsplash.com / Vlad Deep
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Future use cases for air quality data: air quality as a dimension of (re-)insurance

As part of the InterLuft project, we are envisioning future use cases of ubiquitous air quality data in our cities: This article is part of a series of visions of the future and thought experiments on how our surroundings might become more environmentally…
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Do plants improve air quality?

According to an often-quoted study conducted by NASA, house plants have been found to purify the air and remove “up to 87% of the amount of toxins in the air”. Recent studies, however, have cast doubt on these statements finding that indoor…
Asthma inhalerunsplash.com / Sahej Brar
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Future use cases for air quality data: individual health, air pollution exposure and asthma alerts

As part of the InterLuft project, we are envisioning future use cases of ubiquitous air quality data in our cities: This article is part of a series of visions of the future and thought experiments on how our surroundings might become more environmentally…
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The connection between the different air pollutants

When it comes to the subject of air pollution, not many people realize that the different air pollutants are very much interconnected. Reactions between various compounds under the right circumstances will form different pollutants, thus exacerbating…
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How air pollution causes acid rain

Acid rain, or acid deposition, is a broad term that includes any form of precipitation with acidic components that fall to the ground from the atmosphere in wet or dry forms. How can rain be acidic, and what are the effects of acid rain? What…
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How to measure pollen

Pollen exposure is one cause of asthma attacks for people prone to them. Breathing in pollen can also cause certain other respiratory symptoms such as sneezing, congestion, and a runny nose. Climate changing is constantly shifting pollen levels,…
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Everything to know about nitrogen dioxide (NO2)

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is a chemical compound part of a group of highly reactive gases known as oxides of nitrogen or nitrogen oxides (NOx). It is a common air pollutant recognized by many standard air quality guidelines, including the World…
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Everything to know about Nitrogen Monoxide (NO)

Nitrogen monoxide belongs to a family (nitrogen oxides) of poisonous, highly reactive gases that form when fuel is burned at high temperatures. Nitrogen monoxide pollution is emitted by automobiles, various non-road vehicles such as boats and…
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European Regulation and Limits on Air Pollution

When exposed to air pollutants in ambient air, or the air that we breathe, this can have an adverse effect on our health. The European Union (EU) policy on air quality aims to develop and implement appropriate instruments to improve air quality.…
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What the color of your smog tells you about local air pollutants

Smog makes our air unclear and gives a reddish-brown haze of color over our cities. This is why smog can be used as an indicator of poor air quality. Smog can also tell you the severity of air pollutants in your area too. Read on to find out…