Due to prolonged heat waves and air pollution caused by human activities, around 40 percent of the world’s population was exposed to dangerous levels of ground-level ozone pollution in 2026,
Due to prolonged heat waves and air pollution caused by human activities, around 40 percent of the world’s population was exposed to dangerous levels of ground-level ozone pollution in 2026, while ozone pollution exceeded the levels recommended by the World Health Organization across much of the Northern Hemisphere. According to a report by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, the combination of extreme heat and human-generated air pollution contributed to an increase in toxic levels of ground-level ozone worldwide this year.
The report said ground-level ozone can appear as brownish haze and is formed through chemical reactions involving sunlight and pollutants in the atmosphere. This pollution can harm human health as well as ecosystems and agricultural production. Laurence Rouil, director of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, said ozone pollution is a clear reminder of how closely interconnected the atmosphere, climate, health and human livelihoods are. Pollution and a changing climate affect the chemical composition of the air people breathe, influence the health of ecosystems and also affect the ability to grow food.
According to the report, the population exposed to ozone pollution this year was higher than in the previous five years. In the United States, more than four in 10 people live in areas affected by air pollution. The report also noted that smoke from wildfires and other pollutants can travel thousands of miles, reaching distant regions. Although pollution caused by the burning of biological material has declined globally over recent decades, the number of people exposed to wildfire smoke has increased. According to the study, the main reason for this increase is the recent occurrence of severe wildfires near densely populated areas, exposing large numbers of people to smoke and air pollution.
