Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Air Pollution
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
It sits within Poisoning, Toxicology, Environmental Health.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Air Pollution
279 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Reducing AIR Pollution Exposure to Lower Blood PRESSURE Among New York City Public Housing ResidentsNYU Langone Health
- Voices Illuminating Solutions for Outdoor Workers' Needs and SafetyStanford University
- The INTERvening for LUNG Health TrialJohns Hopkins University
- Project 4: ACHIEVE PATHFINDERHenry Ford Health System
- Community Mobilization for Improved Clean Cookstove Uptake, Household Air Pollution Reduction, and Hypertension PreventionNYU Langone Health
- Laying the Foundation for Building a Resilient KPNC Community in the Face of Worsening Air Quality Due to Wildfire SmokeKaiser Permanente
Research already completed
- Smoker Extracellular Vesicles Influence on Human Bronchial Epithelial CellsLille Catholic University
- Impact of Air Pollution on the Course of Inflammatory RheumatismCentre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice
- Cleaner Air for Lower Cardiometabolic RiskNYU Langone Health
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- About Air QualityCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
- Air Pollution and Your HealthNational Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
- Air Quality Index (AQI) BasicsEnvironmental Protection Agency
- Clean Air OutdoorsAmerican Lung Association
- Hazardous Air PollutantsEnvironmental Protection Agency
Prevention and Risk Factors
- 10 Tips to Protect Yourself from Unhealthy AirAmerican Lung Association
- Air Quality Guide for Particle PollutionEnvironmental Protection Agency
- Green Vehicle GuideEnvironmental Protection Agency
- Risk AssessmentEnvironmental Protection Agency
Related Issues
- Air Quality and Ionizing Radiation during TravelCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
- AirNow.govEnvironmental Protection Agency
- Disparities in the Impact of Air PollutionAmerican Lung Association
- Healthy Heart Toolkit and Research: Steps You Can Take to Reduce Health Effects from Air PollutionEnvironmental Protection Agency
- Respiratory ProtectionOccupational Safety and Health Administration
Statistics and Research
- America's Children and the EnvironmentEnvironmental Protection Agency
- Research on Health Effects from Air PollutionEnvironmental Protection Agency
- State of the Air Report Cards: States and CountiesAmerican Lung Association
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Air PollutionNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Air Pollution. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Air Pollution, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.