Global Study Says More Than Half the World Breathes Unhealthy Ozone Levels
A new global study on air pollution indicates that more than half of the world's population has been breathing unhealthy levels of ground-level ozone, also known as smog.
Cleveland Akron, OH, October 29, 2026 —
A new global study on air pollution indicates that more than half of the world’s population has been breathing unhealthy levels of ground-level ozone, also known as smog. The finding points to widespread exposure, but the information available about the study does not identify which areas or population groups were most affected.
The study’s authors, publication date, research methods and definition of “unhealthy levels” were not provided. No specific population estimate, measurement period or regional breakdown was included, so the finding cannot be made more precise from the information available.
The summary also does not describe how the study assessed ozone exposure or whether it compared conditions across countries or over time. It provides no details about possible causes, health effects or policy responses. Those elements would be needed to give readers a fuller account of the scale and implications of the reported finding.
Ground-level ozone is identified in the study summary as smog. The central reported result is that more than half of the world’s population has been breathing levels considered unhealthy. The summary does not state whether that exposure was continuous or occurred during particular periods, and it does not specify when the study’s assessment took place.
Further details about the study were not included in the material provided. In particular, the names of the researchers or institution, the source of the underlying data and the criteria used to classify ozone levels were not supplied. Without those details, the finding can be reported only at the broad level described by the study summary.
Story summarized from the original created by Chris Pugh on www.cleveland.com, see more information here.
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