Many U.S. underground natural gas storage wells at risk for leaks
May 2017. Boston, MA. More than one in five of the 15,000 active underground natural gas storage wells in the U.S. appear to be at risk for serious leaks due to obsolete well designs, according to a study by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researchers. The wells are similar in design to that of the Aliso Canyon gas storage facility in California that leaked for about four months in 2015-16 and is considered the largest single accidental release of greenhouse gases in U.S. history.
Air pollution killing 3.3 million people a year worldwide
Sept 16, 2015. Air pollution causes 3.3 million deaths worldwide each year—primarily from strokes and heart attacks—according to a new study by a Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researcher and colleagues. The study used health statistics and computer modeling to generate the most detailed picture yet of air pollution’s global toll.
Air pollution below EPA standards linked with higher death rates
Jun 3, 2015. A new study by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that death rates among people over 65 are higher in zip codes with more fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) than in those with lower levels of PM2.5.
Coal burning, road dust most toxic air particles
May 2014. Boston, MA. A new Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) air pollution study of millions of deaths from heart disease, lung disorders, and other causes in 75 American cities found that the effect of particles on mortality rates was about 75% higher in cities with a high proportion of sulfates from coal burning power plants than in cities with little sulfate pollution. It was about 50% higher in cities with a higher proportion of particles from road dust.
Comparing Air Pollution and Its Health Effects in Beijing and Mexico City
February 2017. Boston, MA. Nobel Prize-winning chemist Mario Molina gave a public lecture at Harvard comparing air quality issues in Mexico City and Beijing. Dr. Molina is part of a community of scholars joining forces with the Harvard-China Project on Energy, Economy and Environment to scientifically rethink strategies to reduce urban air pollution and environmental health risk, in China and beyond. In this video, several China Project experts and partners to share their insights and research on the issue.
How does air pollution affect health?
August 2015. In this video, Douglas Dockery, chair of the Department of Environmental Health, talks about how air pollution can reduce people’s life expectancy and why it’s a global problem.
Clean air and health benefits of clean power plan hinge on key policy decisions
May 4, 2015. States will gain large, widespread, and nearly immediate health benefits if the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets strong standards in the final Clean Power Plan, according to the first independent, peer-reviewed paper of its kind, published May 4, 2015 in the journal Nature Climate Change.
Landmark Six Cities Air Pollution Study Turns 20
January 7, 2014. Boston, MA. Last month marked the 20th anniversary of the publication of Harvard School of Public Health’s groundbreaking Six Cities study, which—by revealing a strong link between air pollution and mortality risk—paved the way for strengthened U.S. regulations on fine particulate matter. Douglas Dockery—lead author of the Six Cities study and chair of HSPH’s Department of Environmental Health—answers three questions about the seminal study.
Blue Sky Scenario
Winter 2016. Jeremiah Zhe Liu, SM ’15, PhD ’20, is creating new biostatistical methods that may help reverse the devastating effects of air pollution in his native China.
Air pollution and cardiovascular disease: increased risk for women with diabetes
Nov 25, 2015. Air pollution is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and some people may be more susceptible to its effects than others. Investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) and Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health used data from a nationwide study of nurses to look for factors that made people more vulnerable to the effects of long-term air pollution exposure. One factor in particular stood out to the researchers: type 2 diabetes.
Nickel may contribute to air pollution’s cardiovascular effects
Jun 19, 2015. Nickel appears to contribute to adverse cardiovascular outcomes associated with fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) according to a study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researchers.
The Makeover of Mexico City
Feb 6, 2015. Aided by Harvard experts, officials are tackling housing, pollution, and traffic problems — and solving them.
More Harvard Resources
Harvard Air Climate and Energy Center
Harvard Clean Air Research Center
Air Pollution and Health Faculty and Researchers
