
About this episode
This episode explores the implications of air pollution through the story of Ella Kissi-Debrah and her mother's fight for accountability.
The Trump administration is rolling back restrictions on air pollution in the U.S., and some experts say this could affect the health of millions of people. And what makes air pollution especially dangerous is that we often can’t see it at all. So today, we’re going back to the story of Ella Kissi-Debrah, a little girl who suddenly got sick and landed in the hospital. In this episode, her mom, Rosamund, takes on the fight to find out what exactly happened to Ella. And the answer has BIG implications — for us all. We’ll hear from Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah and Professor Stephen Holgate. Find our transcript here: https://tinyurl.com/ScienceVsAirPollution In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Ella’s story (13:02) The campaign and investigation (21:01) Why air pollution is so dangerous (25:39) Accountability and change This episode was produced by Ekedi Fausther-Keeys with help from Rose Rimler, Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn, and Courtney Gilbert. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Wendy Zukerman is the Executive Producer. Extra help by Saidu Tejan-Thomas, Nicole Beemsterboer, Kendra Pierre-Louis, and Alex Blumberg. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by…
People in this episode
Host: Wendy Zukerman
Guests: Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, Professor Stephen Holgate
Topics covered
- air pollution
- health
- environment
- advocacy
- investigation
- accountability
Keywords
- air quality
- pollution
- Ella Kissi-Debrah
- health risks
- environmental policy
- advocacy
- investigation
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Trump administration, Spotify Studios
More episodes of Science Vs
- The Woman Who Felt No Fear · June 11, 2026 · 43 min
- Peptides: The Ultimate Body Hack? · June 4, 2026 · 38 min
- Ibogaine: A Miracle Psychedelic? · May 21, 2026 · 49 min
- Hantavirus: How Scary Is It?? · May 13, 2026 · 32 min
- Tattoos: Are They Toxic? · May 7, 2026 · 30 min
- Boredom: Is It Good For You? · April 30, 2026 · 33 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Science Vs podcast page.