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Summary
Air pollution is a mixture of solid particles and gases in the air. Car emissions, chemicals from factories, dust, pollen and mold spores may be suspended as particles. Ozone, a gas, is a major part of air pollution in cities. When ozone forms air pollution, it's also called smog.
Some air pollutants are poisonous. Inhaling them can increase the chance you'll have health problems. People with heart or lung disease, older adults and children are at greater risk from air pollution. Air pollution isn't just outside - the air inside buildings can also be polluted and affect your health.
Environmental Protection Agency
- About Air Quality (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
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Air Pollution and Your Health
(National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)
- Air Quality Index (AQI) Basics (Environmental Protection Agency)
- Clean Air Outdoors (American Lung Association)
- Hazardous Air Pollutants (Environmental Protection Agency)
Prevention and Risk Factors
- 10 Tips to Protect Yourself from Unhealthy Air (American Lung Association)
- Green Vehicle Guide (Environmental Protection Agency)
- Risk Assessment (Environmental Protection Agency)
Related Issues
- AirNow: Local Air Quality Conditions and Forecasts (Environmental Protection Agency)
- Disparities in the Impact of Air Pollution (American Lung Association)
- Healthy Heart Toolkit and Research: Steps You Can Take to Reduce Health Effects from Air Pollution (Environmental Protection Agency) Also in Spanish
- Protect Yourself: Respirators (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) - PDF
- Travelers' Health: Air Quality and Ionizing Radiation (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Specifics
- Acid Rain (Environmental Protection Agency)
- Air Pollutants (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Particulate Matter (PM) Pollution (Environmental Protection Agency)
- Transportation, Air Pollution, and Climate Change (Environmental Protection Agency)
- Volcanic Gases Can Be Harmful to Health, Vegetation, and Infrastructure (U.S. Geological Survey)
Statistics and Research
- America's Children and the Environment (Environmental Protection Agency)
- State of the Air: State Air Quality Report Cards (American Lung Association)
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Air Pollution
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Find an Expert
- American Lung Association
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Also in Spanish
- National Center for Environmental Health (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Also in Spanish
Teenagers
- Air (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
- Health Effects of Air Pollution (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)