Walter Schiller-Anders

Understanding the Air Quality Index: Why Breathing Bad Air Feels Like Lighting Up a Pack

In a world where wildfires burn longer, cities are filled with traffic fumes, and industrial emissions linger, the quality of the air we breathe is under intense scrutiny. As we move into 2026, recent reports highlight a troubling reality: global particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations climbed by 1.5% in 2023 compared to the previous year. This pushed levels nearly five times above World Health Organization guidelines in many areas.