Pollution is killing tens of thousands of people every day. Cities across Asia and in Europe have had to shut down and stop traffic to manage “Airpocalypse” pollution events. New research is showing that even the air in North America may be deadlier than we knew.

Air pollution kills more people in North America than traffic accidents, and high exposure can change your DNA in just a few hours. A rise in dementia among dogs in Mexico City began a chain of research leading to a shocking discovery – that microscopic bits of air pollution appear to travel directly into our brains, and could cause dementia in humans.

But now there is a new weapon against pollution – small, portable air monitors that can show air contamination in real time, at street level. They are showing where air is not healthy, even though it looks fine. How deadly is the exhaust from vehicle exhaust, construction dust and even planes overhead?

Something in the Air is a one hour documentary that looks at the most essential element for survival – air. Following average city dwellers, the program uses CGI to show the invisible particulates in the air, the effects on our bodies, and how new technology and a motivated public are changing the equation – for the better.