Environmental Health · 2026
The air we share is the health we share.
A student project on air quality and public health by Jackson Jorgensen and Ethan Luther.
Introduction
Why we built this and why it matters.
The average person takes about 20,000 breaths a day. Almost none of us stop to think about what's in them. But according to the World Health Organization, 99% of people are breathing air that's dirtier than what's considered safe, and it's linked to roughly 7 million early deaths a year.
We wanted to make that easier to understand. This site is our attempt to take what the science says about air quality and put it in plain language, the kind of thing you could send to a friend or a parent and they'd actually read it. We cover what's in the air, where it comes from, what it does to your body, and what's actually being done about it.
premature deaths per year linked to air pollution (WHO)
of the global population breathes air exceeding WHO limits
deaths worldwide are attributable to poor air quality
The project
Eight chapters on what's in our air.
Common Pollutants
PM2.5, ozone, CO, NO₂ and SO₂ — the usual suspects.
Read chapterWhere It Comes From
Transport, industry, homes, and natural sources.
Read chapterHealth Effects
How pollution reaches the lungs, blood, and heart.
Read chapterSolutions
Policy, technology, and personal action that works.
Read chapterWatch
How air pollution affects your body
Video: World Health Organization — "How air pollution is destroying our health."