State Department halts global air pollution monitoring program

The State Department will no longer share data about foreign air pollution under a program that it says is designed to help U.S. personnel and travelers abroad.

A spokesperson for the department said via email that its Air Quality Monitoring Program “will no longer be able to transmit air pollution data from our embassies and consulates.”

The department said that “funding constraints” have caused State “to turn off the underlying network.”

It did not specify the reason for the cuts. However, the news comes as the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency seek massive cuts to government spending.

The freezing of the program was first reported by The New York Times.

The State Department said that it will resume providing real-time data “when/if funding can be secured for the network.” In the meantime, it has directed embassies and consulates to keep up the monitors.

According to the department’s website, more than 80 overseas locations were providing air quality information for the ZephAir mobile application.

The website describes the data as providing “vital resources for individuals to limit exposure to air pollution and protect the health of U.S. personnel and U.S. travelers abroad.”

The program had been in place since 2008, when the first monitor was installed at the U.S. embassy in Beijing.

Air pollution can pose a significant health hazard. One 2022 study linked it to 9 million deaths worldwide. Exposure has also been linked to respiratory conditions including asthma.

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