City Cast Pittsburgh logo
Advertisement image
May 26, 2022

Pollution So Bad It's Changing Our Brains?

City Cast Pittsburgh

Pollution So Bad It's Changing Our Brains?

00:00:00
View all City Cast Pittsburgh episodes

Pittsburgh is consistently rated among the nation’s worst cities for air quality, but how does that affect our mental health -- especially in the hardest-hit lower income communities along the Mon Valley? Environmental Health News journalist Kristina Marusic explains how folks are coping with the continued effect of "climate anxiety," and what you can do to help. 

The series is a collaboration between Environmental Health News and The Allegheny Front: https://www.ehn.org/mental-health-2655533166/what-we-found 

PublicSource did some excellent reporting about one of the hardest-hit communities, Clairton. Check it out here: https://www.publicsource.org/clairton-city-of-prayer-portraits-illness-trauma-advocacy-resilience/

And please read these lists of local organizations helping to make change:


Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Hey Pittsburgh

Stay connected to City Cast Pittsburgh and get ready to join the local conversation.

Can't subscribe? Turn off your ad blocker and try again.

Latest Episodes

See all
October 9

Shapiro vs. Garrity, a Mafia-Style Toilet Fundraiser & TBD on New Local Taxes

Pittsburgh and Allegheny County officially announced their 2027 budgets and … wow our finances are not looking good. Host Megan Harris an...

City Cast Pittsburgh podcast episode art
October 8

Pittsburgh's Indigenous History

Pittsburgh loves to talk about its history — the forts, the steel mills, the immigrants, the neighborhoods. But the story of this place s...

City Cast Pittsburgh podcast episode art
October 7

What Pgh Restaurant Would Hold Your Wake? Plus, Measles & Mulan's Cookbook

It's official: an Allegheny County resident just tested positive for measles. It's part of Pennsylvania's ongoing (and worsening) measles...

City Cast Pittsburgh podcast episode art
October 6

The Dystopian AI School PA Rejected

Notes and references from today’s show: A.I.-Driven Education: Founded in Texas and Coming to a School Near You [New York Times] Sta...

City Cast Pittsburgh podcast episode art
October 5

Maple Miso Lattes, Artisanal Croissants & All-You-Can-Eat KBBQ

Korean BBQ, sushi, "artisanal" croissants, and other delectable delicacies are on offer from newly-opened (as well as expanding and reope...

City Cast Pittsburgh podcast episode art
October 4

‘Your City Could Be Better’: This Basketball Court Is Saving Residents From Floods — Presented By City Cast Pittsburgh

When Pittsburgh looks for inspiration for the future, does it look to the Netherlands? That’s what designers and officials in New York Ci...

City Cast Pittsburgh podcast episode art
October 2

CMU Miami, Bleak Budgets & Duquesne Light’s Strike

Carnegie Mellon University is opening a new campus in Miami, thanks to a $3 billion gift from hedge fund manager Ken Griffin. It's the la...

City Cast Pittsburgh podcast episode art
October 1

Your Guide to October 2026 in Pittsburgh

October in Pittsburgh is packed with things to eat, see and do — from campy musicals and a pizza opera to the Pittsburgh Art Book Fair an...

City Cast Pittsburgh podcast episode art
September 30

Pittsburgh’s Best Fall Frights, From Terrifying To Totally Tame

How scared do you actually want to be this Halloween? Pittsburgh has plenty of options! Whether you want chainsaw-wielding killers chasin...

City Cast Pittsburgh podcast episode art
September 29

Riverfront Trails Expand, Exercise for Beginners & Tim Burton Takeover

Have you ever been enjoying a bike ride along the riverfront, only for the trail to end abruptly? Good news! The city is planning to clos...

City Cast Pittsburgh podcast episode art