There was a big story a couple weeks ago in China; the most comprehensive survey of pollution in China was released, and it showed a far worse picture of water health than previously estimated. This first national pollution census revealed that China’s water was twice as polluted as previously thought. The main reason for the …

(The following is a second post from a new contributor, Chris Buckley of Torana Clean Air) Many of us rely on the Air Quality Index (AQI) supplied by the US Embassy as a guide to pollution levels in the capital. In this, the first in an occasional series of posts on this topic, I will …

Are you aware that certain plants can act as natural air purifiers? Indoor air pollution is a serious problem in many communities, especially in cities. But there are also issues with indoor pollutants such as formaldehyde or varnishes that can also cause problems. There are many air purifiers on the market, but why not save …

It’s a bit, um, difficult to make air pollution a cool subject for kids. Even my recent slide show on air pollution left a few high-schoolers eyes glazed. Fortunately, I spread out a couple fun internet games to perk up the group. Fun and educational! Throw in free and you have an instant hour or …

I’ve written a whole series of posts on both indoor and outdoor air pollution, and the current CityWeekend Parents and Kids has an article about indoor pollution as well. I had a lot of fun taking pollution measurements with a particle monitor, and I’m pleased to report that now you can check your indoor pollution …

One of most popular posts last year was a slide show on air pollution in China. Now, I have created a trimmed-down version that I’ve started to give to high school classes. This slide show is now available below for teachers and parents to use all over China (I hope!). You don’t even need to …

(The following is a guest piece from Chris Buckley, owner of Torana Clean Air Center in Beijing) Recently, I’ve been doing measurements inside and outside of homes in Beijing, looking at fine particle air pollution, of the same size range (less than 2.5 microns) that is monitored by the US Embassy. Most homes have indoor …

Thanks go to Vance from livefrombeijing for this heads up; China will soon finally be getting official real-time pollution monitoring! Unfortunately for us Beijingers, it will be in Shanghai. It seems that the U.S. EPA has started an AIRNow-International campaign to assist other countries in setting up real-time monitors. Shanghai is the first test city, …

Air pollution continues to be the most popular subject on this website. Now, there’s a great new review as well as a patient handout to explain the basics. It’s from my specialty’s Journal of the American Family Physician. They just published a great review (Outdoor Air Pollutants and Patient Health) which describes the main culprits …

I’ve frequently mentioned the very useful US Embassy pollution monitor here in Beijing, which used to be only on Twitter but is now easier to access. First there was the non-blocked website, which I strongly recommend; now I’m happy to report that someone has designed an iPhone/iPod Touch app! Now it’ll be even easier for parents, …

Everyone could tell from the moment we woke up today; today is a pea-soup day here in Beijing. People should know that the current pollution is above 500 (the level of fine particulates under 2.5 micron, considered the most unhealthy pollutant); anything over 300 is considered hazardous for everyone outside, not just those with illnesses. …

I’ve talked a lot about indoor air quality, and I’m happy to report that Beijing Kids has an excellent post this week about indoor plants. They discuss a short video from the TED Conference series; this presentation discusses three common house plants and details how efficiently they can remove CO2, create oxygen, and also absorb …