Air pollution rises after U.S. embassy monitoring program ends

Research published in the journal PNAS indicates that air pollution levels increased by 24% to 33% in the months following the Trump administration's decision to end an air quality monitoring program at U.S. embassies and consulates.

Since 2008, the State Department's initiative had expanded to more than 80 locations, providing critical pollution data to low- and middle-income countries that often lacked their own monitoring systems. Environmental economist Eric Zou of the University of Michigan notes that public access to this information helped citizens recognize smog as a health hazard rather than mere weather. The program was shuttered in March 2025 due to monetary costs, a move that researchers suggest has resulted in significant health consequences for local populations.