Center for Clean Air

Air pollution from the California wildfires is spreading across the state, with hazardous levels being recorded in many regions. In several areas the Air Quality Index showed regions where pollution levels had gone above 500. Anything above 200 is considered unhealthy to hazardous. Suzanne E. Paulson, Director, Center for Clean Air at the University of...

A decrease in Southern California traffic led to decreases in microscopic air pollutants known as fine particulate matter, or PM 2.5. This contributed to a 20% improvement in air quality across Southern California, according to Yifang Zhu’s findings and Environmental Protection Agency data. Poor air quality has negative consequences for public health; increased concentrations of...

“Los Angeles used to be nearly as polluted as Beijing is today,” said Yifang Zhu, co-lead author of the study and professor of environmental health sciences at the Fielding School. “A city’s air quality can improve markedly when effective environmental policies are put into place,” Zhu said

As a technology, air purifiers land somewhere between legitimate health device and dubious wellness product. Many health researchers suggest that certain purifiers can reduce harmful airborne pollutants. “I recommend that people buy HEPA-based filters,” said Yifang Zhu, a professor at the University of California at Los Angeles who studies the effects of air quality on...

“We’re expecting to see more and bigger wildfires if the climate continues in its current path,” said Yifang Zhu, environmental health sciences professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. The climate crisis has created conditions across the American west more favorable for wildfires, including drier and warmer forests.

Experts say there are simpler ways to help fix climate change, particularly using less energy from fossil fuels. Suzanne Paulson, director at UCLA’s Center for Clean Air, said although much has been done, the waiver was a safety net for California skies. “There are always further steps that can be taken to clean up the...