Heatwaves, Wildfires Expose a Third of World to Extreme Ozone Pollution
- On Wednesday, a European Union report from the Copernicus Climate Atmosphere Monitoring Service revealed that record heatwaves and wildfires exposed one-third of the global population to extremely high levels of ozone pollution this year.
- Ground-Level ozone forms when heat and sunlight react with airborne emissions from wildfires, vehicles, and industry; climate change fuels conditions that favor its formation, making the pollutant difficult to tackle despite past progress.
- Asia faces the highest exposure, with 53 percent of its population breathing "extremely poor" air, while Oceania remains a bright spot where 66 percent of the population enjoyed "good" ozone levels.
- CAMS director Laurence Rouil stated, "Air pollution does not stop at borders," noting it crosses continents and oceans; the European Environment Agency linked ozone exposure to 60,000 premature deaths annually in Europe.
- The warming El Nino weather pattern, which began in June and is expected to peak later this year, could drive further wildfires in south-east Asia, potentially exacerbating ozone pollution levels.
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Only 5% of the world's population was in areas where ozone was at a good level The post Ozone pollution: Over a third of the planet's population exposed to dangerous levels in 2026 appeared first on in.gr.
According to Copernicus, 40% of the world's population was exposed to extremely high levels of ozone in 2026. Asia is the most affected region but summer heats have caused high episodes of pollution in Europe too. In Europe, ozone is the only pollutant that does not decrease. Explanations. - Pollution: 40% of the world's population is exposed to dangerous levels of ozone (Environment).
About half of the European population has already inhaled air this year with ozone levels ranging from “poor” to “extremely poor.” Ozone can penetrate deep into the airways and cause coughing, burning eyes, and shortness of breath. It can also worsen asthma attacks and symptoms in people with respiratory conditions.
In a report, the European Monitoring Centre for the Atmosphere Copernicus calls for urgent action against a "global threat" which increases with climate change.
Leme Beach and Sugar Bread in January 2023. Reproduction/TV Globo Rio de Janeiro appears among the cities with the highest exposure to ozone close to the ground in 2026, according to a new global analysis on air quality released by the European Copernicus Observatory's atmospheric monitoring service. In the world, almost 40% of the population was exposed to extremely high levels of ozone throughout the year. Asia was the most affected region, wh…
Radio France Internationale
One third of world population exposed to harmful air pollution: monitor
In a new analysis covering the first eight months of 2026, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) highlighted the close relationship between climate change and air pollution. When heat and sunlight react with airborne emissions from wildfires, vehicles and industry, they create ground-level ozone pollution, which can damage lung tissue, cause breathing problems, trigger asthma attacks and lead to other healt…
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