{"id":40955,"date":"2026-05-14T15:45:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T14:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/?p=40955"},"modified":"2026-05-14T13:52:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T12:52:18","slug":"ultrafine-particles-airports-health-concern","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/ultrafine-particles-airports-health-concern\/","title":{"rendered":"The invisible pollution around airports: Why scientists are worried about ultrafine particles from aircraft"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For years, air pollution<\/a><\/span><\/strong> around airports<\/a><\/span><\/strong> has largely been discussed in familiar terms such as carbon emissions, aircraft noise and visible exhaust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But scientists are increasingly focusing on something passengers and nearby residents cannot see at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a><\/span><\/strong>, aircraft operations can release them in enormous quantities directly over communities living close to major airports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers from the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) <\/a><\/span><\/strong>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the findings more significant is not simply the number of particles, but their size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ultrafine
Image: Tinorua, Brem et. al. \/ Environmental Science & Technology<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Unlike larger pollution particles commonly associated with road traffic or industrial emissions, these aviation-related particles are mostly smaller than 100 nanometres. Many were below 20 nanometres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That matters because ultrafine particles behave very differently once inhaled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why ultrafine particles may be more dangerous than ordinary air pollution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most people are familiar with pollution measurements such as PM10 or PM2.5, which refer to larger particulate matter suspended in the air. Ultrafine particles are far smaller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scientists define them as particles below 100 nanometres in diameter. At that scale, they can travel far deeper into the human body than ordinary pollution particles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ultrafine
Image: Kwon, HS., Ryu, M.H. & Carlsten, C \/ Journal of Experimental & Molecular Medicine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Larger particles are often trapped higher up in the respiratory system. Ultrafine particles, however, can penetrate into the lungs\u2019 deepest regions like the alveoli, where oxygen enters the bloodstream. Some studies suggest they may even pass into the circulatory system itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers have linked prolonged exposure to ultrafine particles with respiratory disease, cardiovascular problems and possible neurological effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is why scientists increasingly see UFPs as one of the least understood but potentially most serious forms of urban air pollution. And airports are emerging as a major source.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n \n Read next: The airlines with the lowest emissions in 2025, from Scoot to Virgin Atlantic<\/span>\n Read next: The airlines with the lowest emissions in 2025, from Scoot to Virgin Atlantic<\/span>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n\n\n

Zurich Airport study reveals massive spikes in aircraft ultrafine particles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Swiss study focused on an open field in Kloten, roughly one kilometre downwind of Zurich Airport and less than 50 metres from a primary school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers monitored air quality during winter 2022 and combined it with long-term measurements covering 2022 and 2023. The location allowed scientists to observe what happens when aircraft exhaust plumes move directly over nearby residential areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The findings were striking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ultrafine
Figure 1. Measurements of ultrafine particle (UFP) pollution near Zurich Airport during daytime, evening and nighttime operations between October and December 2022. The charts show how particle concentrations changed depending on wind direction and wind speed. The highest pollution levels were consistently recorded when winds carried aircraft emissions from the airport towards the monitoring site (highlighted in purple), particularly during busy daytime and evening flight operations. Researchers found that aircraft activity produced major spikes in extremely small airborne particles linked to jet exhaust emissions.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

During periods when winds carried emissions from the airport towards the monitoring site, ultrafine particle concentrations surged dramatically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The highest levels were recorded during busy daytime flight operations and evening landing periods. At times, aircraft were landing directly overhead at altitudes as low as 80 metres, causing exhaust plumes to descend rapidly towards the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers found that every aircraft passing overhead triggered sharp spikes in ultrafine particle concentrations. What surprised scientists was how dominant aviation emissions appeared to be compared with other urban pollution sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Road traffic still contributed to background pollution, particularly during morning rush hour, but airport emissions were responsible for the largest spikes in ultrafine particle numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study found airport-related emissions dominated daytime ultrafine particle concentrations for roughly 30% of the time across all wind directions.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n \n Also read: UK travellers say sustainability matters, but flight booking behaviour tells a different story<\/span>\n Also read: UK travellers say sustainability matters, but flight booking behaviour tells a different story<\/span>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n\n\n

Scientists found aircraft engine oil in ultrafine pollution particles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Zurich research also identified something rarely measured in real time before: the traces of aircraft engine lubrication oil attached to the ultrafine particles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers used specialised mass spectrometry equipment capable of detecting chemical signatures linked to jet engine lubricants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They found strong correlations between spikes in ultrafine particle levels and compounds associated with aircraft lubrication oils, including tricresyl phosphate (TCP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA previous study at Frankfurt Airport had already found lubricating oil in the particulate matter,\u201d study leader Benjamin Brem, from the PSI Center for Energy and Environmental Sciences, said. \u201cHowever, in that study, the particles were collected and daily average values were determined. We, on the other hand, recorded measurements of the lubricating oil in real time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"SWISS
Photo: Jerry \/ stock.adobe.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The particles themselves are produced through a combination of soot, sulphates and volatile compounds generated during aircraft engine combustion and exhaust cooling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scientists say the smaller the particles become, the more easily they can reach the deepest parts of the lungs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn terms of particle mass, the particulate matter pollution at the airport is lower than in the city,\u201d researcher Sarah Tinorua said. \u201cBut the number of particles at the airport is significantly higher.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tinorua also warned that the long-term health effects of inhaling these lubricating oil compounds remain poorly understood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe potential health effects of such lubricants being inhaled deep into the lungs have not yet been fully investigated,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How weather conditions affect aircraft ultrafine particle pollution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The study also showed how weather conditions affect particle behaviour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under stronger winds, particles tended to remain smaller because they dispersed more quickly. Under calmer conditions, however, particles had more time to collide, combine and grow in size during transport away from the airport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers observed ultrafine particles growing from below 20 nanometres to around 40 nanometres within relatively short distances from the airport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ultrafine
Figure 2. Average ultrafine particle (UFP) size measurements recorded near Zurich Airport under different wind directions. The charts compare particle concentrations with aircraft activity, including take-offs and landings. Researchers found the highest spikes in ultrafine particles occurred when winds carried aircraft exhaust directly towards the monitoring site, particularly during periods of heavy runway use. The data also shows how aircraft operations influenced both the number and size of airborne particles detected near surrounding communities.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The airport’s operational patterns also mattered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take-offs generated major daytime emissions, while evening landing operations created distinct spikes as aircraft descended directly over nearby communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In some cases, the concentration peaks remained detectable even outside the main downwind direction because of the way aircraft wake turbulence pushed exhaust plumes downward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why regulators are becoming concerned about airport ultrafine particles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Although emissions such as nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide from aircraft engines are already regulated internationally, ultrafine particles remain far less tightly controlled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Zurich findings are therefore likely to add pressure for more monitoring around airports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation, which funded the research, is already discussing mitigation measures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Swiss
Photo: Heorshe \/ stock.adobe.com
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Potential steps include wider use of low-sulphur kerosene, increased adoption of sustainable aviation fuels, reducing aircraft idling, and using electric towing vehicles instead of running engines during ground movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zurich Airport has already restricted the use of onboard auxiliary power units while aircraft are parked, requiring them to connect to airport electricity instead. The broader issue, however, extends well beyond Zurich.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Major airports around the world sit close to dense urban populations. Millions of people live beneath flight paths or near runways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Swiss study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that aviation-related ultrafine particles may become one of the next major environmental and public health debates facing the global aviation industry.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n \n Discover more stories about sustainability in aviation here<\/span>\n Discover more stories about sustainability in aviation here<\/span>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n\n\n

Featured image: stock.adobe.com<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New research near Zurich Airport found aircraft operations can generate massive spikes in ultrafine particles, raising fresh concerns about long-term health risks for communities living beneath flight paths.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":40966,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[66,65,10449,195],"tags":[199,782,4868,1609,5309],"class_list":["post-40955","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-air-transport","category-innovation-technology","category-safety","category-sustainability","tag-airports","tag-health","tag-pollution","tag-research","tag-zurich-airport"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAircraft ultrafine particles near airports raise health concerns<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Scientists studying Zurich Airport found aircraft produce huge ultrafine particle spikes linked to potential health risks nearby.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/ultrafine-particles-airports-health-concern\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Aircraft ultrafine particles near airports raise health concerns\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Scientists studying Zurich Airport found aircraft produce huge ultrafine particle spikes linked to potential health risks nearby.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/ultrafine-particles-airports-health-concern\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"AGN\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-14T14:45:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AdobeStock_111943915-1024x683.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"683\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Joanna Bailey\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Joanna Bailey\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/news\\\/ultrafine-particles-airports-health-concern\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/news\\\/ultrafine-particles-airports-health-concern\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Joanna Bailey\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d520abeb2e9eafc75ecb7aa1abe032b4\"},\"headline\":\"The invisible pollution around airports: Why scientists are worried about ultrafine particles from aircraft\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-14T14:45:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/news\\\/ultrafine-particles-airports-health-concern\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1263,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/news\\\/ultrafine-particles-airports-health-concern\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/AdobeStock_111943915-scaled.jpeg\",\"keywords\":[\"Airports\",\"Health\",\"Pollution\",\"Research\",\"Zurich Airport\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Air Transport\",\"Innovation & Technology\",\"Safety\",\"Sustainability\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/news\\\/ultrafine-particles-airports-health-concern\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/news\\\/ultrafine-particles-airports-health-concern\\\/\",\"name\":\"Aircraft ultrafine particles near airports raise health concerns\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/news\\\/ultrafine-particles-airports-health-concern\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/news\\\/ultrafine-particles-airports-health-concern\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/AdobeStock_111943915-scaled.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-14T14:45:00+00:00\",\"description\":\"Scientists studying Zurich Airport found aircraft produce huge ultrafine particle spikes linked to potential health risks nearby.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/news\\\/ultrafine-particles-airports-health-concern\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/news\\\/ultrafine-particles-airports-health-concern\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/news\\\/ultrafine-particles-airports-health-concern\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/AdobeStock_111943915-scaled.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/AdobeStock_111943915-scaled.jpeg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707,\"caption\":\"Photo: stock.adobe.com\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/news\\\/ultrafine-particles-airports-health-concern\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The invisible pollution around airports: Why scientists are worried about ultrafine particles from aircraft\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"AGN\",\"description\":\"Aerospace Global News\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Aerospace Global News\",\"alternateName\":\"AGN\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/logo-dark-finn-thumbnail-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/logo-dark-finn-thumbnail-1.png\",\"width\":150,\"height\":35,\"caption\":\"Aerospace Global News\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/aerospace-global-news\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d520abeb2e9eafc75ecb7aa1abe032b4\",\"name\":\"Joanna Bailey\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/06334fa4c6f64299a4fa3b2a6cbb0fd240f5426fceaf7407b9b863806dab7bb4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/06334fa4c6f64299a4fa3b2a6cbb0fd240f5426fceaf7407b9b863806dab7bb4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/06334fa4c6f64299a4fa3b2a6cbb0fd240f5426fceaf7407b9b863806dab7bb4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Joanna Bailey\"},\"description\":\"Joanna has worked in online publishing for decades, and has been part of the aviation media community for several years. She is the editor of Aerospace Global News, overseeing the strategic direction and ongoing quality of the site.\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Aircraft ultrafine particles near airports raise health concerns","description":"Scientists studying Zurich Airport found aircraft produce huge ultrafine particle spikes linked to potential health risks nearby.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/ultrafine-particles-airports-health-concern\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Aircraft ultrafine particles near airports raise health concerns","og_description":"Scientists studying Zurich Airport found aircraft produce huge ultrafine particle spikes linked to potential health risks nearby.","og_url":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/ultrafine-particles-airports-health-concern\/","og_site_name":"AGN","article_published_time":"2026-05-14T14:45:00+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":683,"url":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AdobeStock_111943915-1024x683.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Joanna Bailey","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Joanna Bailey","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/ultrafine-particles-airports-health-concern\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/ultrafine-particles-airports-health-concern\/"},"author":{"name":"Joanna Bailey","@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/#\/schema\/person\/d520abeb2e9eafc75ecb7aa1abe032b4"},"headline":"The invisible pollution around airports: Why scientists are worried about ultrafine particles from aircraft","datePublished":"2026-05-14T14:45:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/ultrafine-particles-airports-health-concern\/"},"wordCount":1263,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/ultrafine-particles-airports-health-concern\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AdobeStock_111943915-scaled.jpeg","keywords":["Airports","Health","Pollution","Research","Zurich Airport"],"articleSection":["Air Transport","Innovation & Technology","Safety","Sustainability"],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/ultrafine-particles-airports-health-concern\/","url":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/ultrafine-particles-airports-health-concern\/","name":"Aircraft ultrafine particles near airports raise health concerns","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/ultrafine-particles-airports-health-concern\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/ultrafine-particles-airports-health-concern\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AdobeStock_111943915-scaled.jpeg","datePublished":"2026-05-14T14:45:00+00:00","description":"Scientists studying Zurich Airport found aircraft produce huge ultrafine particle spikes linked to potential health risks nearby.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/ultrafine-particles-airports-health-concern\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/ultrafine-particles-airports-health-concern\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/ultrafine-particles-airports-health-concern\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AdobeStock_111943915-scaled.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AdobeStock_111943915-scaled.jpeg","width":2560,"height":1707,"caption":"Photo: stock.adobe.com"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/ultrafine-particles-airports-health-concern\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The invisible pollution around airports: Why scientists are worried about ultrafine particles from aircraft"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/","name":"AGN","description":"Aerospace Global News","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/#organization","name":"Aerospace Global News","alternateName":"AGN","url":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/logo-dark-finn-thumbnail-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/logo-dark-finn-thumbnail-1.png","width":150,"height":35,"caption":"Aerospace Global News"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/aerospace-global-news\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/#\/schema\/person\/d520abeb2e9eafc75ecb7aa1abe032b4","name":"Joanna Bailey","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/06334fa4c6f64299a4fa3b2a6cbb0fd240f5426fceaf7407b9b863806dab7bb4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/06334fa4c6f64299a4fa3b2a6cbb0fd240f5426fceaf7407b9b863806dab7bb4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/06334fa4c6f64299a4fa3b2a6cbb0fd240f5426fceaf7407b9b863806dab7bb4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Joanna Bailey"},"description":"Joanna has worked in online publishing for decades, and has been part of the aviation media community for several years. She is the editor of Aerospace Global News, overseeing the strategic direction and ongoing quality of the site."}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40955","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40955"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40955\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40966"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40955"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40955"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40955"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}