Air Pollution

At the Harvard Chan School’s Department of Environmental Health, we are pioneering research that tackles one of our most critical public health issues: air pollution. This invisible threat permeates our atmosphere with harmful or excessive quantities of substances, posing severe risks to both human health and the environment.

From smog-filled cityscapes and rural areas choked by industrial emissions to wildfire smoke and the built environment, the sources of air pollution are diverse and pervasive. Our research is dedicated to uncovering the intricate ways these contaminants, which include gases, particles, and biological molecules, affect our health and our lives.

The consequences of air pollution include: 

• Respiratory issues
• Cardiovascular problems
• Cancer
• Reproductive and developmental impacts
• Increased risk of premature death

By integrating epidemiological studies, exposure assessments, toxicological analyses and more, we delve deep into understanding and mitigating the public health impacts of air pollution.