By Aniruddha Ghosal

Hanoi, Vietnam (AP) – everyone loves a touch of fresh air. Unfortunately, too often, our air is anything but fresh.

While the air quality varies dramatically from place to put, almost 99% of the world's population – in some unspecified time in the future is exposed to air that doesn’t correspond to the strict standards of the World Health Organization. Dirty air, loaded with harmful gases or tiny, invisible particles that dig into human bodies, killed 7 million people yearly Estimates of the UN Health Authority.

And for the thousands and thousands that live in a number of the world's most ammogiest cities – lots of them like in Asia New -Delhi; Draw, the Dangadesh; I'm sorry; Am JakartaIndonesia – bad air could appear inevitable.

But there are things that folks can do, starting with the understanding that the air is just not only dirty when it looks smoggy, Tanushree Ganguly from the Energy Policy Institute of Chicago said in India.

“Blue sky cannot guarantee you clean air,” she said.

What are probably the most dangerous varieties of air pollutants and their sources?

Air pollutants often come from individuals who burn things: fuels reminiscent of coal, natural gas, diesel and petrol for electricity and transport; Harvest or Trees for agricultural purposes; or As a results of forest fires.

Fine, inhaled particles, often called Particleare amongst probably the most dangerous. The little ones of those – often called PM 2.5, because they’ve lower than 2.5 micrometers in diameter – can get deep into human lungs and are mainly generated by combustion fuel. Große particles, pm 10, are connected to agriculture, streets, mining or the wind root dust. According to the Who.

Other dangerous pollutants are gases reminiscent of nitrogen dioxide or sulfur dioxide, that are also constructed from burning fuels, said Anumita Roychowdhury, an air pollution expert on the Center for Science and Environment in Neu -Delhi.

The sources and the intensity of air pollution vary in several cities and seasons. For example, old motorcycles and industrial boilers within the Indonesian capital Jakarta have a vital role in poor air, while the burning of agricultural waste is a primary reason for air pollution peaks in cities in Thailand and India. Brick ovens that burn coal increases the pollution in Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital. And seasonal forest fires Cause problems in Brazil And North America.

What health problems could cause air pollution?

Air pollution is the second largest risk factor for early death worldwide, behind hypertension, in order that after hypertension To a recent report by the Health Effect Institute.

Short -term exposure can trigger asthma attacks and increase them Risk of heart attacks and strokeEspecially in older people or individuals with medical problems. Long-term exposure could cause serious heart and lung problems that may result in death, including heart disease, chronic obstructive lung diseases and lung infections.

A current evaluation of the UN Children's Agency found that greater than 500 million children in East Asia and the Pacific countries breathe unhealthy air and that pollution is related to the death of 100 children under 5 years. June Kunugi, Unicef ​​Regional Director of East Asia, said that the dirty air affects growth, the lungs harm and has the cognitive skills.

“Every breath is important, but every breath can harm too many children,” she said.

What is one of the best strategy to say whether air is secure?

Over 6,000 cities in 117 countries at the moment are monitoring air quality, and plenty of weather mobile apps contain details about air quality. But attempting to measure how bad the air is to take a look at these numbers might be confusing.

In order to assist people understand the air quality levels more easily, many countries have Adopted an air quality index Or AQI – a numerical scale through which larger numbers mean worse air. You are also often assigned different colours to indicate whether the air is clean or not.

However, different countries have different air quality standards. For example, India's day by day PM 2.5 limit is greater than 1.5 times higher than in Thailand and 4 times higher Who standards.

This signifies that countries calculate AQIS in a different way and the numbers usually are not comparable. This can also be the rationale why AQI scores from private firms that use stricter standards sometimes distinguish from those calculated by the national supervisory authorities.

What are one of the best ways to guard yourself from air pollution?

The goal, in fact, Is the exposure to be restricted If the air quality is bad whenever you stay inside or wear a mask.

Inside, nonetheless, it is just not all the time possible, especially for individuals who should live or work outside, Danny Djarum, an air quality researcher on the World Resources Institute, noted. “You can't really afford not to go out,” he said.

Pakaphol Asavakomolnant, an office employee in Bangkok, said that he wears a mask day by day and avoids working on a bike. “I get sore throat when I get to work in the morning and forget to wear a mask,” he said.

People even have to pay attention to air pollution indoors, which may often be brought on by frequent household activities reminiscent of cooking and even causing a frankincense rod.

What are the benefits – and restrictions – the air purifier?

Air cleaners might help reduce air pollution indoors, but they’ve their limits. They work by pulling air out of a room and pushing it through a filter that catches pollutants before they’re hidden.

But they’re handiest after they are utilized in small rooms and when individuals are nearby. Air cleaners can only clean a specific amount of air, said Rajasekhar Balasubramanian, who examines urban air quality on the Singapore National University. “If we have a tiny air purifier in a large room, it won't be effective,” he said.

Air cleaners are too expensive for people in lots of developing countries.

“The majority of people affected by air pollution cannot afford air purifiers,” said Wris Djarum.

A Martinez refinery has been fined $5 million over 4 years for air quality violations, authorities said Thursday.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District announced the penalty against the Marathon Martinez refinery, saying it involved 59 violations from 2018 to 2022. The district said the penalty was the second largest it had ever imposed.

The refinery is operated by Marathon subsidiary Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company, LLC.

According to the county, the fines are civil penalties for flaring as Marathon shut down its refinery in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Marathon improperly flared vapors from operating storage tanks and loading racks rather than burning them in the production process,” the district wrote in its statement. “The company also flared gases related to the shutdown, shutdown and decommissioning of refinery process units. Much of the refinery was shut down and idle during this time, including the gas equipment and associated production heaters.”

The county said it also fined the refinery for improperly venting gases for 2 hours through a flare that was turned off for maintenance; for 3 cases of visible emissions from smoke flares; and for multiple violations related to excessive air pollution emissions, including sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and visual particulate emissions.

The company's delays in making essential repairs also resulted in fines, the district said.

The district said the corporate has since corrected the violations. Efforts to succeed in company representatives were initially unsuccessful.

Please check back for updates.

Originally published: October 2, 2024 at 1:00 p.m

According to a press release, authorities have prolonged an air quality warning until Sunday attributable to ongoing wildfires within the Bay Area.

According to a news release from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, ongoing wildfires and air pollution will proceed to affect the realm's air through Saturday, “causing foggy and smoky skies.” Air quality in the realm is anticipated to stay mostly within the “good to moderate range,” the Saturday news release said. No Spare the Air warning was in effect.

“If possible and temperatures permit, stay indoors and close windows and doors until smoke subsides,” the press release said.

According to the EPA's online Air Quality Index map, air quality in parts of Morgan Hill was rated “unhealthy for sensitive groups” as of two p.m. Saturday. Other parts of the South Bay, including San Jose, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara and Milpitas, had worse air quality than much of the peninsula.

And in most parts of the East Bay, from Fremont and Hayward to the Tri-Valley in Dublin, Pleasanton and Livermore, air quality was moderate, as was the South Bay.

Smoke may be seen throughout Northern California from several ongoing fires, including the historic Park Fire near Chico, the Crozier Fire that broke out near Placerville on Tuesday night, and the Canyon Fire within the Sierra Nevada foothills.

According to Cal Fire, as of Saturday, the Park Fire had burned 429,163 acres and was 36% contained. The Crozier Fire had 1,960 acres and was 8% contained. And the Canyon Fire had 85 acres and was 27% contained.

Heat warnings and advisories have been issued for parts of the Bay Area as several cities reach the best temperatures ever recorded.

Alexis Clouser, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said a high pressure system is moving across the region, causing very high temperatures. A heat warning has been issued for inland cities through Tuesday. A heat warning has also been issued for coastal cities around San Francisco Bay through Tuesday, however the warning in San Francisco is about to finish on Thursday.

According to Clouser, temperatures in several Bay Area cities are expected to achieve or exceed record highs. In San Rafael, temperatures are expected to achieve 100 degrees, which might beat the record high of 99 degrees set in 2001. In Oakland, temperatures are expected to achieve 92 degrees, only one degree cooler than the record high of 93 degrees set in 2001. In Livermore, temperatures could reach 108 degrees, slightly below the previous record high of 109 degrees set in 2001.

Highs of 98 degrees are expected in San Jose, and highs of a balmy 83 degrees are expected in downtown San Francisco. Lows Wednesday night are expected to drop to the 60s to 70s inland.

Clouser advised people without air-con to chill off at cooling centers. The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority said it is going to offer free rides on buses and lightweight rail to certain cooling centers within the county through Sunday, July 7.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has also issued an unhealthy air quality warning for the Santa Clara Valley and East Bay. The cause is increased ozone levels, or smog, which might result in respiratory irritation, reduced lung function, asthma exacerbation, and inflammation and damage to the liner of the lungs. The air quality may be especially unhealthy for sensitive groups, including children, the elderly, pregnant women, and other people with underlying medical conditions equivalent to diabetes, heart disease, and lung disease.

On Tuesday, six recent wildfires broke out in Northern California and the Central Coast and were still raging on Wednesday morning.

The largest fire amongst them is the Thompson Fire, which threatens 12,000 structures in Butte County. It has burned 3,000 acres of land just outside Oroville and was 0% contained as of Wednesday morning.

Cal Fire-Butte County spokesman Rick Carhart told the Chico Enterprise-Record that 28,000 people needed to be evacuated and that initial reports indicated 4 buildings had burned. He said greater than 1,400 firefighters were working to contain the blaze and that 4 of them had suffered minor injuries.

The Airline Fire in San Benito County has burned roughly 450 acres and is 55% contained. There has been one confirmed injury related to the hearth.

As of Wednesday morning, the Moccasin Fire in El Dorado County has burned 21 acres and is 25% contained. Cal Fire said evacuation orders and warnings remain in effect as crews proceed to fight the hearth.

The Toll Fire in Napa County also burned about 20 acres and was 20% contained as of Wednesday morning. According to the most recent update from Cal Fire, firefighters were on the scene last night to “build and reinforce control lines and clean up.”

According to Cal Fire, the Denverton Fire was 0% contained as of Wednesday morning. The fire burned 25 acres in Solano County along Creek Road and Denverton Road.

In Shasta County, the Yolla Fire has now grown to 19 acres and is 35% contained. The fire is positioned off Cottonwood Creek Road.

“Firefighters are making good progress despite the steep and rugged terrain,” Cal Fire said on its fire incident page.

Pacific Gas & Electric also announced several safety-related power outages in Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Napa, Shasta, Solano, Sonoma, Tehama and Yolo counties as a result of high winds and dry conditions. No more power outages are expected for the remaining of the week after Wednesday.

With the July 4 election looming, it could possibly feel just like the final result is already a done deal. Labour has had a decisive lead within the polls for over a 12 months, and nothing Rishi Sunak does seems to vary that.

But beneath the surface, there continues to be rather a lot at stake on this six-week election campaign.

First of all, there isn’t a final result possible from this election campaign that may not be described as monumental. If Keir Starmer wins, he could have pulled off essentially the most astonishing electoral turnaround of all time, bringing Labour back to power for the primary time in 14 years. If Rishi Sunak wins, he’ll practically defy gravity.

In Scotland, the SNP's dominance could turn into total annihilation. In Wales, border changes have dramatically altered the electoral map. In Northern Ireland, the DUP is heading into its first real post-Brexit election amid crisis following the arrest of its former leader – while Sinn Féin is regaining popularity.

So Labour’s huge lead within the polls is definitely only a part of the story.

Here at The Conversation, a charity, we’re committed to providing our readers with trustworthy, evidence-based journalism. Over the approaching weeks, we are going to bring you in-depth evaluation of the campaign's developments and fact-check the claims being made.

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We will look closely on the manifestos to discover the guarantees that matter. All parties have big inquiries to answer concerning the way forward for the NHS and the longer term of our planet. All have promised change and renewal after a period of great stress. We imagine that university academics with deep knowledge of their fields are well placed to assist the remainder of us assess the worth of their proposals on all these issues.

If you value high-quality political coverage, support us on this campaign by subscribing to our weekly election newsletter, which provides a summary of crucial information every Friday afternoon.

When you switch on the tap to get a glass of water or wash your face, you most likely don't take into consideration what's in your water – aside from water. Depending on where you reside and whether you’ve got a water softener, your water may contain dissolved minerals like calcium and magnesium. And these minerals can play a job in keeping certain contaminants, like lead, out of your water.

The more minerals are dissolved, the “harder” your waterBut is difficult water actually good or bad for you?

As Engineering Researcher Anyone who studies water quality knows the positive and negative effects that soft and hard water can have on all the pieces from the water supply to the human body.

What is difficult water?

Hard water is water that comprises dissolved minerals resembling calcium, magnesium, iron and manganese. Soft water comprises lower concentrations of those minerals.

Hardness is measured in calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), which serves as a reference point for comparing different minerals.

The amount of those minerals in a city’s water supply varies by region. It depends each on where the water comes from and the way it’s treated.

Communities that get their water from wells reasonably than surface waters resembling lakes, streams, rivers and reservoirs often begin treating hard water. As groundwater travels through the soil to a well, it picks up minerals. At the identical time, harder water could also be present in areas where forms of rock and sediment usually tend to dissolve in water.

Impact on water pipes and distribution

Water that is simply too hard or too soft can damage the pipes and result in health and aesthetic problems.

Because hard water has the next mineral concentration, minerals can construct up in pipes, causing clogged pipes in homes and public water systems. Hardness also results in more deposits in higher temperaturesdue to this fact, water heaters are liable to mineral deposits. In areas with hard water, water heaters have a shorter lifespan.

But hard water may help too. While minerals from hard water can clog pipes, a skinny layer of mineral deposits in water pipes can protect you from absorbing toxins which may enter from the pipe itself. Water without minerals can play a job in pipe corrosion because with out a thin, protective mineral layer, the water can begin to eat away on the pipes and release metals from the pipes into the water. When you drink this water, you’ll be able to absorb metals like lead, copper and iron.

While water that is simply too soft or too hard can have different effects on water pipes, pipe corrosion and blockages are usually not only attributable to chemical aspects, but additionally by hardness. So there isn’t any specific level of hardness that may be a cause for concern. Water treatment plants take the suitable measures to regulate to different levels of hardness.

Effects on skin and hair

Whether you utilize hard or soft water when washing may have noticeable effects in your skin and hair.

Hard water is more Let your skin dryThe minerals in hard water draw moisture from the skin and form deposits that clog pores.

Hard water may strip moisture from hair, causing it to turn into dry and rough. Dry hair is more liable to frizz, tangles and breakage. Mineral deposits may form on hair and scalp, clogs the hair follicles and results in dandruff and slowed hair growth.

Many households have their very own Water softening systems. A water softening system may help with dry hair and skin and buildup. However, lots of these systems capture calcium and magnesium and replace it with sodium, a mineral that doesn’t contribute to water hardness, to lower the general hardness. Increased sodium levels in water is usually a problem for people on a low-sodium weight-reduction plan.

General health advantages

Apart from aesthetic elements and concerns about water heating, drinking hard water actually good for you and doesn’t cause any serious unwanted side effects.

For example, the additional magnesium and calcium you eat in hard water can a delicate solution to digestive problems and constipation.

In addition, researchers have found positive correlations between the hardness of drinking water and Bone Health. Since Calcium is a vital mineral within the bonesPeople in areas with calcium-rich drinking water can have higher bone mineral density and be less susceptible to osteoporosis.

Researchers have also found that drinking hard water is related to Reducing mortality related to cardiovascular diseases. Magnesium helps regulate your heart muscles, while calcium keeps the sodium-potassium balance in check in your heart muscles, which it needs to operate.

Whether you’ve got hard or soft water, don't worry an excessive amount of. Water treatment plants take appropriate measures to make sure clean water for the communities they serve.

To learn more in regards to the water hardness in your area, you’ll be able to contact your local water treatment plant and find out about their specific water treatment process. Private well owners can contact their state government to find out about testing recommendations for his or her area.

There are dozens of forest fires There are fires across Canada in May 2024 and can once more send unhealthy smoke to the northern United States. At the identical time, smoke is coming from Mexico within the southeastern United States, where there have been periods of drought Stir the hearth.

Last yr, Canada's record-breaking 2023 wildfire season alerted tens of millions of Americans within the Midwest and northeastern states to the health dangers of wildfire smoke, and air quality warnings arrived Levels which have never existed there before.

Professional Baseball games have been postponed and the sky in New York City turned orange with hazewhich temporarily exposes tens of millions of individuals to it worst air quality on this planet. In some regions the smoke lasted for days.

The pressing query that concerns many individuals: “Is this the new normal?” our perspective as Air quality scientistwe predict the reply might be yes.

Global warming results in more fires

Hotter, drier conditions, in addition to dry grasses and underbrush gathered over a long time of fireside suppression, have made large wildfires more common.

Canada is experiencing one The second extremely dry yr in a row in 2024, and there may be also a risk of a re-emergence of fires that smoldered underground over the winter. From May 12 to 14, 2024, smoke from fires in British Columbia and Alberta reached unhealthy levels from Montana to Wisconsin and commenced spreading south and east into the Midwest and Great Lakes region.

The Assessment and Outlook for Seasonal Fires in North America The months of May through July highlight drought conditions in western Canada and Central America and the next than average fire risk in each regions. It also highlights the challenge of predicting fire risk later within the yr because the El Niño climate pattern transitions to La Niña in late summer.

Computer simulations of the Future in a warming climate show that there will probably be more smoky days, higher smoke concentrations, larger areas burned and better carbon emissions from the fires – and it goes further Fuel for climate change.

States and the Forest Service can use prescribed fires and forest thinnings to scale back the number and intensity of fireside outbreaks Smoke exposure will likely still increase as temperatures rise and moisture levels change.

In short, people must learn to live with wildfire smoke. It won't occur yearly, but it would occur more often.

Luckily there are several Management tools and techniques a smokier future.

Preparing for smoky days

Dealing with the specter of wildfire smoke begins with smart personal decisions.

Think of smoke waves like heat waves: They're easier to cope with once you're prepared and know they're coming. That means Pay attention to forecasts and the provision of face masks, air monitors and clean air shelters.

Inhaling the particulate matter and chemicals in wildfire smoke can worsen asthma, worsen existing respiratory and heart problems, and make people more at risk of respiratory infections. People caring for smoke-sensitive individuals, similar to young children and older adults, especially must plan for his or her needs.

Prepare, Find out in regards to the risks And Warning signals by public health professionals. Living with wildfire smoke may mean using air filtration devices, wearing N95 or KN95 masks on bad air days, changing commuting habits and outdoor activity schedules, and changing household ventilation options.

What schools and communities can do

Living with smoke also requires changes to the best way schools, businesses, homes and government buildings operate.

Schools can start doing this set a threshold for canceling outdoor activities and ensuring staff are prepared to answer the needs of kids with asthma.

Building managers might have to rethink air filtration and ventilation and deploy air quality sensors. Municipalities also need emergency plans for festivals and leisure facilities, in addition to rules for corporations to guard field employees.

Decisions about coping with smoke could be complicated. For example, selecting an air purifier could be a daunting task, with over 900 products in the marketplace. The effectiveness of varied smoke management measures shouldn’t be well-known and may vary depending on small implementation details, similar to: matches like a mask the wearer's face, whether exterior doors and windows close tightly, and whether filters are properly installed and replaced incessantly enough.

Improving smoke monitoring and prediction

The U.S. has an in depth air quality monitoring and forecasting system that helps with early warning. It uses ground-based air quality monitors, satellite distant sensing systems to detect smoke and fires and Computer systems The Putting observations together with wind, Chemistry And Weather. These are supplemented by expert guidance by meteorologists.

However, for average residents attempting to make decisions in regards to the safety of outside activities, the present forecasting system is lacking. This is especially true when smoke intrudes from distant fires or when rapidly changing smoke emission rates and sophisticated wind patterns end in conflicting forecasts and suggestions.

Just a few key improvements would go a good distance practical decision making across the smoke of a wildfire. More accurate 10-day and neighborhood-level forecasts would help communities plan ahead. Bringing together seasonal weather forecasts of precipitation, humidity and wind with satellite assessments of wildfire fuel conditions could also improve emergency planning.

Maintaining a powerful air quality monitoring network can be necessary. However, state and native government authorities have reduced this Number of floor monitors by approx. 10% from its peak in 2001. Smoke estimates from satellites and low-cost portable sensors could be helpful, but they work best after they could be cross-calibrated with a well-maintained network of high-precision monitors.

We still have lots to learn

More effective adaptations to smoke require more research to higher understand the results of repeated exposure to wildfire smoke and the compound hazards that arise when smoke occurs concurrently with other challenges similar to extreme heat.

Community responses like providing clean air shelters — the equivalent of a cooling center in extreme heat — are gaining attention, but they exist limited instructions only about what constitutes a clean air shelter and where and when it could be used.

Living with smoke is becoming a brand new reality that individuals across much of North America will proceed to grapple with this yr and prepare for in the longer term.

This is an update to an article originally published on September 1, 2023.

Tell us

When it involves quality of life in the town, Boston voters seem pretty comfortable.

A recent one Opinion poll The study, conducted for the Boston Policy Institute between April 8 and April 14 via landline, cellphone and SMS invitations, surveyed 600 registered voters in Boston in regards to the performance of Boston Public Schools, tax rates and their views on the standard of life and direction of the town .

Overall, 79% of voters said the standard of life in the town was positive – 14% called it “excellent” while 65% called it “good.” On the opposite side of the spectrum, 14% of voters said the standard of life was “not so good” and 5% described it as “poor.”

Most voters surveyed said they were more likely to stay in Boston long-term and likewise said life in Boston was higher or the identical because it was five years ago.

Voters gave the town high performance rankings for public safety, employment opportunities and social justice and inclusion. However, they rated other essential issues reminiscent of cost of living, reasonably priced housing, public transportation, infrastructure and the general public school system as poor.

“There's clearly still a lot of work to do, but sitting in the mayor's office, I would feel pretty good about where I am now,” said John Della Volpe, a national pollster who conducted the poll CommonWealth Beacon.

The low performance rankings are consistent with many Boston.com readers' recent thoughts on the subject.

Last November, readers said the state's biggest problem was transportation and infrastructure, attributing the issues to constant traffic congestion and issues with the MBTA. According to a March study, owning a house in the town is out of reach for a lot of readers attributable to the continuing housing crisis that’s forcing Bostonians to earn greater than $124,000 a yr to live comfortably. And although last yr was marred by controversy, Mayor Michelle Wu promised a shakeup of the Boston Public School system in her State of the City address this yr.

Let us know when you agree with the survey results. What do you consider the standard of life in Boston? What aspects make it higher or worse? Tell us by filling out the shape or sending us an email [email protected]and your response may appear in a future Boston.com article.