--- title: Air Pollution Kills in America Despite EPA Efforts description: Air pollution continues to drive premature death in the United States with no level of exposure leaving humans unaffected canonical: https://time.com/4836660/air-pollution-health-death-epa/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-06-28T21:00:23.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:54:13.331Z article:section: Health og:title: Air Pollution Is Still Killing People in the United States og:description: Despite a decades-long fight og:url: https://time.com/4836660/air-pollution-health-death-epa/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt701a9fb8dd0e3e00/6988d3aebc6cfc97e73e2079/air-pollution-health-california.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: air pollution health california og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Air Pollution Is Still Killing People in the United States twitter:description: Despite a decades-long fight twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt701a9fb8dd0e3e00/6988d3aebc6cfc97e73e2079/air-pollution-health-california.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Air Pollution Is Still Killing People in the United States > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=ab68b2d0-bb9f-4043-b8bd-fd097a7f87a5&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | Subscribers | Open rate | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | 540,000 | 45.6% | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | 430,000 | 50.7% | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Daily | 240,000 | 54.1% | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Tuesday and Saturday (2x per week) | 40,000 | 31.7% | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | 85,000 | 37.0% | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | 40,000 | 34.2% | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | 25,000 | 28.6% | Source: TIME, August 2026. Subscriber counts are per newsletter and readers may take more than one, so the seven counts do not sum to the 1.1 million+ unique newsletter audience. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Highest open rate | 54.1%, Health Matters | TIME, August 2026 | | Largest list | 540,000, The Brief | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=ab68b2d0-bb9f-4043-b8bd-fd097a7f87a5&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=ab68b2d0-bb9f-4043-b8bd-fd097a7f87a5&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ## Video: Air Pollution Linked to Millions of Deaths [Watch (HLS stream): Air Pollution Linked to Millions of Deaths](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Nc0ey0Ex.m3u8) (0:36)  _Published 2016-06-27. Air pollution contributes to about 6.5 million deaths each year, the International Energy Agency warned in a report released Monday_  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Jun 28, 2017 9:00 PM UTC  Downtown highrise buildings are shown cloaked in dirty air shortly after sunrise September 11, 2002 in Los Angeles. Downtown highrise buildings are shown cloaked in dirty air shortly after sunrise September 11, 2002 in Los Angeles.David McNew—Getty Images  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Jun 28, 2017 9:00 PM UTC [Air pollution](http://time.com/4812547/google-maps-can-help-communities-address-air-pollution/) continues to drive premature deaths in the United States with no level of exposure leaving humans unaffected, according to new [research](http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1702747). The study, published in the _New England Journal of Medicine_, found a strong correlation between mortality and exposure to the pollutants ozone and particular matter, both of which contribute to smog. The higher the concentration of the pollutants in the air the higher the chance of an early death, according to the research. While air pollution levels in the U.S. have declined significantly in recent decades thanks to regulation — including the Clean Air Act — many cities and regions still struggle to meet air quality standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). But the new research suggests that even those standards may not be stringent enough: Air pollution contributes to premature mortality even below those levels. “We think air quality in the United States is good enough to protect our citizens,” Joel Schwartz, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health who authored the study, said in a statement. “In fact we need to lower pollution levels even further.” **Read More:** [Why California’s Climate Change Fight Is Also About Public Health](http://time.com/4774636/california-air-pollution-climate-change/) The study joins a growing body of research showing the deadly effects of human exposure to air pollution at any level. But while researchers behind many recent studies have relied on relatively small data sets, the new study used data from more than 60 million Medicare beneficiaries between 2000 and 2012. Air pollution has received the most attention in the developing world, and for good reason. Recent [research](http://time.com/4035670/air-pollution-death/) published in the journal _Nature_ estimated that air pollution leads to more than three million deaths annually. But [research](http://time.com/4219575/air-pollution-deaths/) has also showed that tens of thousands of people in the U.S. face an early death because of exposure to air pollution. **Read More:** [Air Pollution Costs Global Economy Trillions Annually, World Bank Says](http://time.com/4484027/air-pollution-economic-toll-world-bank/) The Trump Administration has promised to focus its environmental efforts on “clean air and clean water,” but has also sought to undo or defund many of the programs that address those issues. At President Donald Trump’s direction, the EPA has begun a process to undo [rules regulating power plant emissions](http://time.com/3981535/white-house-clean-power-plan/), which contribute to a variety of health ailments, in addition to climate change. The Trump budget proposal also includes [funding cuts](http://time.com/4688753/donald-trump-epa-budget-cuts-public-health/) for EPA programs across the board. “Despite compelling data, the Trump administration is moving headlong in the opposite direction,” scientists wrote in a _New England Journal_ editorial accompanying the study. “We must redouble our commitment to clean air. If such protections lapse, Americans will suffer.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4836660/air-pollution-health-death-epa/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4836660/air-pollution-health-death-epa/"},"headline":"Air Pollution Is Still Killing People in the United States","datePublished":"2017-06-28T21:00:23.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:54:13.331Z","description":"Despite a decades-long fight","url":"https://time.com/4836660/air-pollution-health-death-epa/","keywords":["Environment","health","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt701a9fb8dd0e3e00/6988d3aebc6cfc97e73e2079/air-pollution-health-california.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Justin Worland","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/justin-worland/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt701a9fb8dd0e3e00/6988d3aebc6cfc97e73e2079/air-pollution-health-california.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"air pollution health california","caption":"air pollution health california","creditText":"David McNew—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/environment/","name":"Environment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4836660/air-pollution-health-death-epa/","name":"Air Pollution Is Still Killing People in the United States"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Air Pollution Linked to Millions of Deaths","description":"Air pollution contributes to about 6.5 million deaths each year, the International Energy Agency warned in a report released Monday","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/Nc0ey0Ex/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2016-06-27T14:51:30.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Nc0ey0Ex.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4836660/air-pollution-health-death-epa/","duration":"PT36S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4836660/air-pollution-health-death-epa/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```