Texans like to say that they live and breathe barbecue -- which may be one of the reasons why the air is so bad in Houston, the state's so-called barbecue capital. According to a study from scientists at Rice University in the city, microscopic bits of polyunsaturated fatty acids released into the atmosphere from cooking meat on backyard barbecues are helping to foul the air in Houston. The city at times registers levels that rank it as one of the more polluted U.S. urban areas in terms of air quality.
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