What is Air Quality and why is it Important?

Earth911.com defines air quality as the amount of pollution found in a given area. The greater the
amount of pollution in the air, the poorer the air quality is. Poor air quality can lead to
complications in the human respiratory system and cause illnesses such as Pneumonia and Lung
Cancer.

What is Air Pollution?

Pollution occurs when chemicals or other particles are introduced to the atmosphere and cause
problems to living organisms. Smog (improperly burned gasoline from combustion), Green House
Gasses and Acid Rain are simple examples of such. Although air pollution is commonly present
outdoors, indoor air pollution is also possible and even deadlier due to the fact that the harmful
gasses are confined to a small space, not allowing it to defuse into the atmosphere.

Sources of Air Pollution

Most of the greenhouse gasses that cause air pollution are naturally occurring, yet because of the
additional strain put on by man; these gasses are inevitably harming the environment. Some
examples of these gases are the following:

 Carbon Dioxide – Naturally present through respiration, although the added CO 2 emissions
caused by the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation increase the amount of Carbon
Dioxide in the air, creating an overload.
 Nitric Oxide – although this gas is also present in the atmosphere, human activity (Burning
of fossil fuels and biomasses) has caused a dramatic increase in the amount of nitric oxide in
the air, which causes a the stratosphere of the earth to shrink.
 Nitrous Oxide – again a natural occurring gas; however, deforestation and nitrogen based
fertilizers have caused the increase in amount of Nitrous Oxide. This gas is a major
contributor to the green house effect.
 Chloroflurocarbons (CFCSs) - created by the combustions of fuel with sulphur present in its
composition. CFCs are a major component in acid rain and can injure humans, plants and
even material objects.

Human Activities that Cause Poor Air Quality

The gasses that are classified as air pollution are naturally occurring, yet because man, these gasses
are in an excess causing harmful effect to the environment, examples of these activities that
increase air pollution are the following:

 Deforestation – the cutting of trees not only increases the amount of Carbon Dioxide in the
air, but it also reduces the amount of oxygen present, as trees are essential in the process of
converting CO2 into Oxygen.
 Cigarette Smoking – a common cigarette contains about 4000 chemicals, which when
smoked are released to the environment, which is then tasked to the trees to be filtered and
converted into oxygen. Even without the additional stress added by cigarettes, the trees are
already having trouble keeping up with the conversion process. As they say “everyone
needs to breathe, but no one needs to smoke”
  The use of nitrogen based fertilizers – these fertilizers add to the amount of nitrous oxide in
the air, causing an increase in green house gasses.
Emission sources
 Industry
o cookeries
o aluminium works
o wood preservation using carbolineum and creosote
o road building
o roofing
 Domestic combustion
o wood
o coal
o other fuels
 Traffic
o diesel vehicles
o gasoline vehicles

Air Quality in the Philippines

Philippine National Ambient Air Quality (NAAQ) Guideline Values

TSP ( Total Suspended Particulates ) are small solid or liquid particles suspended in air. Major
sources of TSP are diesel vehicles and coal-burning power plants. Dust , coming from unpaved
roads or construction activities, is also a major source of TSP.

Total suspended particulates (TSP)

Particulate matter 10 microns in diameter or smaller (PM10)
Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
Carbon monoxide (CO)
Lead (Pb)
Ozone (O3).

Annual Geometric Mean of Roadside TSP Levels in Metro Manila, 2003 - 2004
(mg/Nm3)

In 2004, the annual mean TSP guideline value was exceeded in all of the twelve roadside
TSP monitoring stations in Metro Manila, while in 2003, it was exceeded in nine of the ten.
The intersection of EDSA and Congressional Avenue registered the highest annual mean
concentration in 2004 while in 2003 the highest mean concentration was measured at the
Valenzuela City Hall.

Monthly average PM10 Concentrations in Metro Manila Airshed

Air Quality Monitoring Stations, June – December 2004
Health Problems Caused by Poor Air Quality

 Short term
o Irritation to eyes, nose and throat
o Upper respiratory infections
 Example:
 Bronchitis
 Pneumonia
o Air pollution may aggravate asthma
 Long term
o Lung Cancer
o Heart Disease
o Chronic Respiratory Disease

About 500,000 people die prematurely because of cigarette smoke.

In 1952, the great smog disaster in London killed four thousand people because of high
concentrations of pollution.

Estimates showed there were nearly 4,968 premature deaths each year in Manila due to
respiratory and cardiovascular diseases from exposure to poor air quality, according to
the Philippine Environment Monitor, a joint report of the World Bank and the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) released 2007.

Air Quality and the Economy

Service-led growth in the absence of environmental management responses and facilities is

also constrained by the carrying capacity of its urban environment. Because booming urban centers
attract more people and promote economic activities, the process of urbanization and population
and economic growth entails greater consumption of energy and water resources and the
generation and accumulation of wastes. Hence, cities without adequate foresight and safeguards
face problems of groundwater depletion, improperly disposed garbage, air and aquifer pollution,
coastal land subsidence, and the accompanying health hazards. These problems are already
apparent in Metro Manila, Cebu, Baguio, Batangas City, Cagayan de Oro, and other cities. Table 9
illustrates the extent of groundwater depletion due to greater withdrawal than recharge in Manila,
Cebu, and Cagayan de Oro, while Figure 17 shows that the actual average total suspended
particulate (TSP) in most cities exceeds the TSP guideline, indicating the extent of air pollution
(World Bank 2002).

The notion of sustainable growth has established itself as a main goal in the theoretical and
political debate on the potential conflict between economic growth and environmental quality.
Empirical evidence suggests that development gives rise to a structural transformation in what and
how an economy produces towards cleaner activities. This work provides a new theoretical model
µa la Romer with pollution as a crucial variable and with a technological sector devoted to research
in pollution-abatement programs.
Possible Solutions to Improve Poor Air Quality

 Domestic
o Fuel switching
o Use of optimised stoves,
o Information campaigns to disseminate best practice in using solid fuel appliances
and fireplaces
o Prohibition of solid fuel use in problem areas.

 Traffic
o Technical measures (e.g. particle traps, catalysts, alternative fuels and drivetrains),
o Economic measures imposed at the national level (e.g. fuel taxes, scrappage
subsidies), and
o Local ‘non-technical’ measures (e.g. encouraging public transport and cycle use,
improving traffic flows, road pricing).

What Can We Do?

 Government
o The Philippine Government has passed R.A. 8749 (Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999)
o Republic Act No. 3571 of 1963 - Purpose of forbidding cutting of trees with scenic
value in public places
o Presidential Decree No. 1160 - Purpose of allowing barangay captains to govern
over their area and enforce anti-pollution laws

 As an Individual
o Be aware of the affects of Air Pollution to the human body
o Conserve electricity
o Participate in tree planting activities
o Commute
o Reduce Reuse and Recycle

References
Air Quality. (2009, October 12). Retrieved October 4, 2010, from Warrington:
http://www.warrington.gov.uk/environmentandplanning/Pollution/air_quality/

de la Cruz, D. (n.d.). National Air Quality Status Report (2003-2004). Retrieved 4 October,
2010, from http://www.emb.gov.ph/eeid/publicationfiles/statreport04content.pdf

Granger, T. (2008, January 1). Reduction Terms Glossary. Retrieved October 4, 2010, from
Earth911: http://earth911.com/news/2008/01/01/reduction-terms-glossary/
Socha, T. (2007, September 9). Air Pollution Causes and Effects. Retrieved 4 October, 2010,
from Health and Energy: http://healthandenergy.com/air_pollution_causes.htm

Taylor-Cassan, J. (2007, August 29). How Smoking Affects our Environment. Retrieved
October 04, 2010, from About My Planet:
http://www.aboutmyplanet.com/environment/smoking-affects/