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Obesity hypoventilation syndrome is a breathing disorder that affects some people who have been diagnosed with obesity. The syndrome causes you to have too much carbon dioxide and too little oxygen in your blood. Without treatment it can lead to serious and even life-threatening health problems.

A harmful algal bloom (HAB) occurs when toxin-producing algae grow excessively in a body of water. Algae are microscopic organisms that live in aquatic environments and use photosynthesis to produce energy from sunlight, just like plants. The excessive algal growth, or algal bloom, becomes visible to the naked eye and can be green, blue-green, red, or brown, depending on the type of algae.

A change in season can brighten your days with vibrant new colors. But blooming flowers and falling leaves can usher in more than beautiful backdrops. Airborne substances that irritate your nose can blow in with the weather. When sneezing, itchy eyes, or a runny nose suddenly appears, allergies may be to blame.

Read about the negative health effects of particle pollution — and find steps you can take to prevent them.

Learn how ground-level ozone can harm your health — and what you can do to protect yourself.

Air Pollutants

Find information on public health issues related to air quality, including asthma, heart disease and stroke, and more.

Air Quality and Emergencies

Commercials and extended videos featuring Michael, an Alaska Native, and member of the Tlingit tribe, has Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a condition caused by smokinge. Videos from the Tips from Former Smokers campaign, which features real people suffering as a result of smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke.