Inaugural editorial: Leveraging scientific innovations to safeguard public health against the synergistic threats of air pollution and climate change

AdMaPlace March 16, 2025

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Journal’s scope and mission

npj Clean Air covers a broad scope of topics spanning air pollution, climate change, and human health. We welcome submissions from scientists in atmospheric chemistry and physics, climate science, environmental health, and related fields. Topics include but are not limited to: gaseous pollutants and atmospheric oxidation, health impacts of air pollution, aerosol-cloud-climate interactions, air pollution-ecosystem interactions, mitigation strategies for air pollution, and emerging atmospheric contaminants. Special emphasis is placed on the interactions between climate change and air pollution, as well as their combined effects on human health. Understanding these issues is critical for establishing rational air quality standards, continuously improving air quality, and formulating global warming countermeasures.

Significance to the field

The focus of npj Clean Air is pivotal to advancing this interdisciplinary domain. Climate change and air pollution exhibit intricate interactions, jointly exacerbating threats to human health. While these impacts attract global attentions, key scientific questions remain unresolved. The coupling between global climate change and regional air quality involves highly complex mechanisms: global warming alters meteorological processes, increasing the risk of regional pollution episodes, while anthropogenic emissions influence both climate change and extreme weather events. Through physical, chemical, and biological pathways, climate change and air pollution create “dual exposure” health risks. Synergies between extreme weather (e.g., heatwaves coupled with high ozone concentrations) and air pollution events (e.g., wildfires or dust storms releasing particulate matter with increasing frequency under climate change) further amplify health hazards. Clarifying the mechanisms linking global climate change, regional air quality, and human health—and proposing air quality improvement strategies and optimized environmental standards—is essential for safeguarding public health and supporting regional sustainable development goals. npj Clean Air serves as a vital platform for scientists addressing these challenges to share breakthroughs, perspectives, and collaborative insights.

Invitation to the community

We warmly invite researchers in atmospheric chemistry and physics, climate science, environmental health, and allied disciplines to contribute to npj Clean Air. Whether through original research, perspectives, or reviews, we welcome your submissions to share findings, ideas, and discoveries with our global readership. We also sincerely appreciate your participation as reviewers to uphold the journal’s rigor or collaborate on special issues addressing emerging topics. Current open special issues include “Air Quality under Climate Change”, “Air Pollution, Climate Change, and Their Compound Impacts on Human Health”, “Atmospheric Evolution of Light-Absorbing Carbonaceous Aerosols”, and “Interactions of Air Pollutants with Weather and Climate”. These new collections offer exceptional opportunities to showcase innovative research.

Future outlook

Looking ahead, npj Clean Air aspires to ambitious goals. We are committed to expanding our Editorial Board with global experts to reflect the journal’s international scope. Our long-term ambition is to position npj Clean Air as a leading journal in the field, recognized for its high-impact research and contributions to advancing interdisciplinary research at the climate-pollution-health interface.

Categories: Uncategorized

Trust in scientists and their role in society across 68 countries

Science is crucial for evidence-based decision-making. Public trust in scientists can help decision makers act on the basis of the best available evidence, especially during crises. However, in recent years the epistemic authority of science has been challenged, causing concerns about low public trust in scientists. We interrogated these concerns with a preregistered 68-country survey of 71,922 respondents and found that in most countries, most people trust scientists and agree that scientists should engage more in society and policymaking. We found variations between and within countries, which we explain with individual- and country-level variables, including political orientation. While there is no widespread lack of trust in scientists, we cannot discount the concern that lack of trust in scientists by even a small minority may affect considerations of scientific evidence in policymaking. These findings have implications for scientists and policymakers seeking to maintain and increase trust in scientists.

AdMaPlace March 13, 2025

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Exploring corporate social responsibility practices in the telecommunications, broadcasting and courier sectors: a comparative industry analysis

This study aims to dissect and understand the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) endeavours of organisations within Malaysia’s telecommunications, broadcasting, postal and courier services sectors, particularly those holding licenses from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). These sectors were chosen for this study due to their crucial role in Malaysia’s economy and society, their notable environmental influence, the regulatory and public attention they receive as well as the distinct challenges and opportunities they face in implementing CSR. Employing a qualitative methodology, the study utilises a semi-structured interview protocol to gather rich, detailed insights from top management across eight listed and non-listed companies. This approach ensures a comprehensive exploration of CSR types, practices and their implementation within the target sectors. Purposive sampling was adopted to select informants with specific expertise, ensuring that the data collected was relevant and insightful. The findings of this study underscore that while telecommunications firms actively participate in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, their efforts predominantly benefit the broader society, with less emphasis placed on shareholders. Additionally, it was observed that environmental issues receive relatively minimal attention from these organisations. This diversity highlights the necessity for a more equitable CSR approach that caters equally to the needs of all stakeholders, including the environment. Such a strategy is crucial for cultivating a sustainable and ethically sound business environment. The implications of this research are manifold. For companies, it emphasises the critical nature of adopting an all-encompassing CSR strategy that fosters competitive advantage while promoting sustainable development. The study advocates for a paradigm shift towards CSR practices that are not only philanthropic but also prioritise environmental stewardship and value creation.

AdMaPlace March 10, 2025

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Coastal wetland resilience through local, regional and global conservation

Coastal wetlands, including tidal marshes, mangrove forests and tidal flats, support the livelihoods of millions of people. Understanding the resilience of coastal wetlands to the increasing number and intensity of anthropogenic threats (such as habitat conversion, pollution, fishing and climate change) can inform what conservation actions will be effective. In this Review, we synthesize anthropogenic threats to coastal wetlands and their resilience through the lens of scale. Over decades and centuries, anthropogenic threats have unfolded across local, regional and global scales, reducing both the extent and quality of coastal wetlands. The resilience of existing coastal wetlands is driven by their quality, which is modulated by both physical conditions (such as sediment supply) and ecological conditions (such as species interactions operating from local through to global scales). Protection and restoration efforts, however, are often localized and focus on the extent of coastal wetlands. The future of coastal wetlands will depend on an improved understanding of their resilience, and on society’s actions to enhance both their extent and quality across different scales.

AdMaPlace March 14, 2025

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Iron homeostasis and ferroptosis in muscle diseases and disorders: mechanisms and therapeutic prospects

The muscular system plays a critical role in the human body by governing skeletal movement, cardiovascular function, and the activities of digestive organs. Additionally, muscle tissues serve an endocrine function by secreting myogenic cytokines, thereby regulating metabolism throughout the entire body. Maintaining muscle function requires iron homeostasis. Recent studies suggest that disruptions in iron metabolism and ferroptosis, a form of iron-dependent cell death, are essential contributors to the progression of a wide range of muscle diseases and disorders, including sarcopenia, cardiomyopathy, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Thus, a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms regulating iron metabolism and ferroptosis in these conditions is crucial for identifying potential therapeutic targets and developing new strategies for disease treatment and/or prevention. This review aims to summarize recent advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying ferroptosis in the context of muscle injury, as well as associated muscle diseases and disorders. Moreover, we discuss potential targets within the ferroptosis pathway and possible strategies for managing muscle disorders. Finally, we shed new light on current limitations and future prospects for therapeutic interventions targeting ferroptosis.

AdMaPlace March 9, 2025

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Metal organic frameworks for wastewater treatment, renewable energy and circular economy contributions

Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are versatile materials with tailorable structures, high surface areas, and controlled pore sizes, making them ideal for gas storage, separation, catalysis, and notably wastewater treatment by removing pollutants like antibiotics and heavy metals. Functionalization enhances their applications in energy conversion and environmental remediation. Despite challenges like stability and cost, ongoing innovation in MOFs contributes to the circular economy and aligns with Sustainable Development Goals.

AdMaPlace March 16, 2025

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Journal’s scope and mission

Significance to the field

Invitation to the community

Future outlook

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