For years, air pollution around airports has largely been discussed in familiar terms such as carbon emissions, aircraft noise and visible exhaust.

But scientists are increasingly focusing on something passengers and nearby residents cannot see at all.

They are called ultrafine particles, or UFPs. They are thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair. And according to new Swiss research near Zurich Airport, aircraft operations can release them in enormous quantities directly over communities living close to major airports.

Researchers from the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) found concentrations reaching up to 300,000 particles per cubic centimetre of air near Zurich Airport during periods of heavy aircraft activity, roughly ten times higher than levels measured when flights were not operating.

Read the full article: https://aerospaceglobalnews.com/news/ultrafine-particles-airports-health-concern/