Air-Pollution Pileup: Mediterranean endures emissions from afar

Most Mediterranean countries aren’t big polluters. A new survey suggests, however, that the area is a crossroads for pollution-carrying air currents from Europe, Asia, and North America.

MAJOR INTERSECTION. The Mediterranean is a crossroads for far-flung pollution. Science

According to an international team of 31 atmospheric chemists, climatologists, and others, these currents converge over the Mediterranean Sea, creating pollutant concentrations that routinely surpass the European Union’s air-quality standards.