Mapping the World's Air Pollution in Real Time

Worldwide, outdoor air pollution causes more than 3 million premature deaths each year. While some cities have already reached hazardous levels of air pollution—such as Delhi, India, with smog practically covering the city daily—others are coming dangerously close. This is according to a new interactive map detailing most of the world’s air quality with real-time data.

The map comes from Beijing-based environmental group Air Quality Index China, which worked with environmental protection agencies in more than 70 countries. It continuously collects data from more than 5,900 feeds coming from more than 8,000 air-quality-monitoring stations in nearly a thousand cities. Only feeds from government agencies are used, according to the website (“no DIY or amateur monitoring stations data” here). The map refreshes every 15 minutes.