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Topic : Association b/w air pollution and Global Warming

Course Title : Aerosols and Environmental Health

INSTITUTE OF ZOOLOGY, PUNJAB UNIVERSITY,

LAHORE.

Contents
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 Summary…………………………………………………. 03
 Air Pollution……………………………………………… 04
 Types of Air Pollutants…………………………………… 05
 Causes……………………………………………………… 07
 Air Quality Index Table…………………………………… 10
 Air pollution status of Pakistan…………………………… 11
 Global Warming…………………………………………… 11
 Causes of global warming…………………………………. 13
 Consequences………………………………………………. 14
 How to control it…………………………………………… 18

Summary
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Two of the planet's main environmental problems, climate change and air
pollution, are closely linked. But before we establish this link, we must start by
distinguishing clearly between the two, because they're not the same thing. While
the sources of air pollution and climate change are indeed generally similar, i.e.
current methods of transport, the production and consumption of goods and energy
etc., there are slight nuances that differentiate the two.

Firstly, climate change is the global variation of the Earth's climate due to
natural causes and human activity. Global warming is accelerated by greenhouse
gases caused by human activity. The main greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide
(CO₂), methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O). Although CO₂ is the main gas
contributing to climate change, it is not harmful to human health. Climate
change has many consequences with global impact, mainly due to changes in
climate patterns, the rising sea level and more extreme meteorological phenomena.
Climate change is not only an environmental phenomenon, its negative impacts
have social and economic consequences, too.

For its part, air pollution is the presence, in the air, of substances or particles that
imply danger, damage or disturbance for humans, flora or fauna. The main sources
of atmospheric contamination are tropospheric ozone gases (O3), sulfur oxides
(SO2 and SO3), nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2), benzo-pyrene (BaP) and particulate
matter (PM). These gases result mainly from emissions caused by the burning of
fossil fuels (including emissions generated by transport), industrial processes,
burning of forests, aerosol use, and radiation. Road traffic is one of the most
significant sources of both greenhouse gases and air pollution. Air pollution and
climate change tend to get worse over time.

The World Health Organization (WHO) guideline states that daily exposure to
particulate matter PM2.5 per cubic meter of air should not exceed 25 micrograms,
yet this figure is surpassed in many cities around the world.

The final comparison we can make between climate change and air pollution is the
most hopeful: both share a common solution, the introduction of a more
sustainable energy model. Energy efficiency, more renewable energy, the use of
electric vehicles, less resource consumption, application of measures from
the Paris Agreement: will ultimately serve to reduce the polluting emissions that
raise the temperature of the planet and make the atmosphere such a polluted
environment.
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Introduction of Air Pollution

Air pollution may be described as contamination of the atmosphere by gaseous,

liquid, or solid wastes or by-products that can endanger human health and welfare
of plants and animals, attack materials, reduce visibility (To read about how Haze
caused by air pollution can affect visibility, or produce undesirable odors.
Although some pollutants are released by natural sources like volcanoes,
coniferous forests, and hot springs, the effect of this pollution is very small when
compared to that caused by emissions from industrial sources, power and heat
generation, waste disposal, and the operation of internal combustion engines. Fuel
combustion is the largest contributor to air pollutant emissions, caused by man,
with stationary and mobile sources equally responsible. The air pollution problem
is encountered outdoor as well as indoor. To read more about the Outdoor Air
Pollution and to read more about the Indoor Air Pollution. The indoor air pollution
came to our attention during 80's while outdoor air pollution has been around for
some time. The major pollutants which contribute to indoor air pollution include
radon, volatile organic compounds, formaldehyde, biological contaminants, and
combustion by-products such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide,
hydrocarbons, nitrogen dioxides, and particulate.
The major pollutants which contribute to outdoor air pollution are sulfur dioxide,
carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone, total suspended particulate matter, lead,
carbon dioxide, and toxic pollutants.

There are several reasons to worry about air pollution. Some are:

Air pollution affects every one of us.

Air pollution can cause health problems and, may be, death.
Air pollution reduces crop yields and affects animal life.
Air pollution can contaminate soil and corrode materials.

The problems of air pollution in Los Angles, New York city and Chicago, U.S.
during the fifties drew attention of regulators in the United States. Conventional
pollutants due to auto emissions and smoke stacks were the major thrusts of air
pollution during the sixties and seventies. Invisible emissions of toxic pollutants
were recognized in the late seventies. The following graph indicates the percent of
total suspended particulate based on particle size distribution of California source
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emissions, in 1986. These emissions increased manifolds since then, making air
pollution monitoring, prevention and control inevitable.

Types of Air Pollutants

1. Primary Pollutants
2. Secondary Pollutants

Primary Pollutants:

A primary pollutant is an air pollutant emitted from a source directly into the
atmosphere. The source can be either a natural process such as sandstorms and
volcanic eruptions or anthropogenic (influenced by humans) such as industrial and
vehicle emissions. Examples of primary pollutants are sulfure dioxide (SO2),
carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOX), and particulate matter (PM).

Sulfur dioxide (SO2)

Sulfur dioxide is an invisible gas with a strong odor. Its main sources are
anthropogenic, resulting from the combustion of fuels and the processing of
mineral ores containing sulfur. Humans and animals exposed to sulfur dioxide
display severe respiratory problems. Sulfur dioxide can interact with water in the
atmosphere to form harmful acid rain.

Carbon monoxide (CO)

Carbon monoxide is an odorless gas emitted by the incomplete combustion of fuel.

The main sources for atmospheric carbon monoxide are gasoline or diesel-powered
engines and biomass burning (forest fires and biomass fuels). Carbon monoxide is
very toxic and is linked to an increased risk of heart disease. Exposure to high
levels of CO may lead to unconsciousness or even death.

Nitrogen oxides (NOX)

Fossil fuel combustion (gasoline and diesel engines) is the main source for
nitrogen oxides in urban areas, while microbial activity in the soil and agricultural
practices such as the use of synthetic fertilizers are its main sources in rural areas.
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Exposure to nitric oxides may cause an inflammation of the respiratory tracts.

Particulate matter (PM)

Particulate matter is a term referring to solid particles and liquid droplets found in
the atmospheric air. Primary particles may be natural, originating from soil dust
and sea spray. They can be industrial and transportation-related as well when their
sources are metallurgical processes or exhausts and tire breaks.

Secondary Pollutants:

A secondary pollutant is an air pollutant formed in the atmosphere as a result of the

chemical or the physical interactions between the primary pollutants themselves or
between the primary pollutants and other atmospheric components Examples of
primary pollutants include sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen
oxides (NOX), and particulate matter (PM).

Examples of secondary pollutants include photochemical oxidants (ozone, nitrogen

dioxide, sulfur trioxide) and secondary particulate matter.
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
 Causes of Air Pollution

Air pollution may be caused by various processes, either natural or anthropogenic

(man-made). Some of them leave evident traces in the air; others can go unnoticed
unless specific tests are conducted - or until you become ill from their effects.
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Natural Causes

 Volcanic activities – volcanic eruptions emit a series of toxic gases

(including sulfur and chlorine) as well as particulate matter (ash particles)
but are usually restricted to localized areas;
 Winds and air currents – can mobilize pollutants from the ground and
transport them over large areas;
 Wildfires – add carbon monoxide, as well as particulate matter, to the
atmosphere (containing organic contaminants such as PAHs); could affect
significant areas, although in general they are restricted and may be
contained;
 Microbial decaying processes – microorganisms which are present in any
environment have a major role in natural decaying processes of living
organisms as well as environmental contaminants; this activity results in the
natural release of gases especially methane gas;
 Radioactive decay processes – for example, radon gas is emitted due to
natural decay processes of Earth’s crust which has potential to accumulate in
enclosed spaces such as basements;
 Increasing temperatures – contribute to an increase in the amounts of
contaminants volatilizing from polluted soil and water into the air.

Anthropogenic Causes

 Mining and smelting – emit into the air a variety of metals adsorbed on
particulate matter that is suspended in the air due to crushing & processing
of mineralogical deposits;
 Mine tailing disposal – due to their fine particulate nature (resulting after
crushing and processing mineral ores) constitute a source of metals to
ambient air which could be spread by the wind over large areas;
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 Foundry activities – emit into the air a variety of metals absorbed on

particulate matter that is suspended in the air due to processing of metallic
raw materials (including the use of furnaces);
 Various industrial processes may emit both organic and inorganic
contaminants through accidental spills and leaks of stored chemicals or the
handling and storage of chemicals – especially of volatile inorganic
chemicals
 Transportation – emits a series of air pollutants (gases – including carbon
monoxide, sulfur oxides, and nitrogen oxides - and particulate matter)
through the tailpipe gases due to internal combustion of various fuels
(usually gasses such as oxides of carbons, of sulfur, of nitrogen, as well as
organic chemicals as PAHs)
 Construction and Demolition activities – pollute the air with
various construction materials. Of special threat is the demolition of old
buildings which may contain a series of banned chemicals such as PCBs,
PBDEs, asbestos.
 Coal Power Plants – when burning coal this may emit a series of gases as
well as particulate matter with metals (such as As, Pb, Hg) and organic
compounds (especially PAHs);
 Heating of buildings – emits a series of gases and particulate matters due to
burning fossil fuels;
 Waste Incineration – depending on waste composition, various toxic gases,
and particulate matter is emitted into the atmosphere;
 Landfill disposal practices – usually generate methane due to the
intensification of natural microbial decaying activity in the disposal area;
 Agriculture – pollute the air usually through emissions of ammonia gas and
the application of pesticides/herbicides/insecticides which contain toxic
volatile organic compounds;
 Control burning in forest and agriculture management – includes
controlled burning that will emit gases and particulate matter (similar to
wildfires described above)
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 Military activities – may introduce toxic gases through practices and

training;
 Smoking – emits a series of toxic chemicals including a series of organic
and inorganic chemicals, some of which are carcinogenic;
 Storage and use of household products such as paint, sprays, varnish, etc
that contains organic solvents which volatilize in the air (hence the smell we
all feel while using them);
 Dry cleaned clothes - may retain and emit in the atmosphere small amounts
of chlorinated solvents (such as PCE) or petroleum solvents that have been
used by the dry cleaners; this could eventually create a health risk if the
clothes returned from the dry cleaners are stored in enclosed indoor spaces.
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 Air Pollution status in Pakistan

According to the World Air Quality report, Pakistan was the second most polluted
country in 2018. At the time of writing this article, Karachi and Lahore were
among the 10 cities in the world to have the most polluted air, with Lahore's AQI
(Air Quality Index) at 188 and Karachi's at 182. An AQI of up to 50 is healthy.
Beyond that, an AQI 0f 100-150 becomes unhealthy for children, and people with
heart and lung disease. An AQI of above 150 is unhealthy for everyone while
levels above 300 constitute a health emergency. Data
from Lahore and Peshawar showed an AQI of above 300 on multiple days in the
month of November. As for Lahore alone, in November, there wasn't a single day
in the country's cultural capital that could be called healthy. Pakistan’s air pollution
levels have transformed into a more dire health emergency than smoking,
tuberculosis, and unsafe water and sanitation, reducing our life expectancy more
than any of the three listed causes. In this situation, children are especially
vulnerable, and air pollution causes 1 in 10 deaths for children under the age of
five. Air pollution worsens respiratory problems for children as well as adults,
causes childhood cancer, and impacts healthy brain development. For pregnant
women, being exposed to air pollution can lead to premature births. ccording to the
most recent World Health Organization data, there are some good reasons to be
worried about the air quality in Lahore, with an yearly average of 68 µg/m3 of
PM2.5, which corresponds to a 155 - Unhealthy Air Quality Index. Obviously, 165
- Unhealthy is just a yearly average, and the air pollution can reach much
higher 300+ hazardous levels- just like the recent smog events in early November
2016.

Unfortunately, there is currently no known Air Quality monitoring network with

PM2.5 data available in Lahore, nor in Pakistan (source).

 Global Warming

Global warming is the increase of average world temperatures as a result of what is

known as the greenhouse effect. Certain gases in the atmosphere act like glass in a
greenhouse, allowing sunlight through to heat the earth's surface but trapping the
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heat as it radiates back into space. As the greenhouse gases build up in the
atmosphere the Earth gets hotter. This process is leading to a rapid change in
climate, also known as climate change. Earth has experienced climate change in
the past without help from humanity. But the current climatic warming is occurring
much more rapidly than past warming events. In Earth’s history before the
Industrial Revolution, Earth’s climate changed due to natural causes unrelated to
human activity. These natural causes are still in play today, but their influence is
too small or they occur too slowly to explain the rapid warming seen in recent
decades. Models predict that as the world consumes ever more fossil fuel,
greenhouse gas concentrations will continue to rise, and Earth’s average surface
temperature will rise with them. Based on plausible emission scenarios, average
surface temperatures could rise between 2°C and 6°C by the end of the 21st
century. Some of this warming will occur even if future greenhouse gas emissions
are reduced, because the Earth system has not yet fully adjusted to environmental
changes we have already made. The impact of global warming is far greater than
just increasing temperatures. Warming modifies rainfall patterns, amplifies coastal
erosion, lengthens the growing season in some regions, melts ice caps and glaciers,
and alters the ranges of some infectious diseases. Some of these changes are
already occurring.
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Despite ups and downs from year to year, global average surface temperature is rising. By the
beginning of the 21st century, Earth’s temperature was roughly 0.5 degrees Celsius above the
long-term (1951–1980) average. (NASA figure adapted from Goddard Institute for Space
Studies Surface Temperature Analysis.)

 Causes of Global Warming

The major cause of global warming is the greenhouse gases. They include
carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides and in some cases chlorine and
bromine containing compounds. The build-up of these gases in the
atmosphere changes the radiative equilibrium in the atmosphere. Their
overall effect is to warm the Earth’s surface and the lower atmosphere
because greenhouse gases absorb some of the outgoing Radiation of Earth
and re-radiate it back towards the surface. The net warming from 1850 to
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the end of the 20th century was equivalent to nearly 2.5 W/m with
carbon dioxide contribution about 60 % to this figure, methane about 25
percent, with nitrous oxides and halocarbons providing the remainder.
In 1985, Joe Farman, of the British Antarctic Survey, published an article
showing the decrease in ozone levels over Antarctica during the early
1980s. The response was striking: large scale international scientific
programmes were mounted to prove that CFCs (used as aerosol
propellants in industrial cleaning fluids and in refrigeration tools) were
the cause of the problem. Even more important was abrupt international
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action to curb the emissions of CFCs. The second major cause of global
warming is the depletion of ozone layer. This happens mainly due to the
presence of chlorine-containing source gases. When ultraviolet light is
present, these gases dissociate releasing chlorine atoms which then catalyses
ozone destruction. Aerosols present in the atmosphere are also causing
global warming by changing the climate in two different ways. Firstly, they
scatter and absorb solar and infrared radiation and secondly, they may
alter the microphysical and chemical properties of clouds and perhaps
affect their lifetime and extent. The scattering of solar radiation acts to cool
the planet, while absorption of solar radiation by aerosols warms the air
directly instead of permitting sunlight to be absorbed by the surface of the
Earth. The human contribution to the amount of aerosols in the atmosphere
is of various forms. For instance, dust is a by-product of agriculture.
Biomass burning generates a mixture of organic droplets and soot particles.
Many industrial processes produce a wide diversity of aerosols depending on
what is being burned or generated in the manufacturing process. Moreover,
exhaust emissions from various sorts of transport produce a rich mixture
of pollutants that are either aerosols from the outset or are transformed
by chemical reactions in the atmosphere to form aerosols.

 Effects of Global warming

 Increase in average temperatures and temperature extremes:

One of the most immediate and obvious effects of global warming is the increase
in temperatures around the world. The average global temperature has increased by
about 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (0.8 degrees Celsius) over the past 100 years,
according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Since record keeping began in 1895, the hottest year on record worldwide was
2016, according to NOAA and NASA data. That year Earth's surface temperature
was 1.78 degrees F (0.99 degrees C) warmer than the average across the entire
20th century. Before 2016, 2015 was the warmest year on record, globally. And
before 2015? Yep, 2014. In fact, 16 of the 17 warmest years on record have
happened since 2001, according to NASA. For the contiguous United States and
Alaska, 2016 was the second-warmest year on record and the 20th consecutive
year that the annual average surface temperature exceeded the 122-year average
since record keeping began, according to NOAA.
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 Extreme weather events:

Extreme weather is another effect of global warming. While experiencing some of
the hottest summers on record, much of the United States has also been
experiencing colder-than-normal winters. Global warming may also lead to
extreme weather other than cold or heat extremes. For example, hurricane
formations will change. Though this is still a subject of active scientific research,
current computer models of the atmosphere indicate that hurricanes are more likely
to become less frequent on a global basis, though the hurricanes that do form may
be more intense.
"And even if they become less frequent globally, hurricanes could still become
more frequent in some particular areas," said atmospheric scientist Adam Sobel,
author of "Storm Surge: Hurricane Sandy, Our Changing Climate, and Extreme
Weather of the Past and Future" (HarperWave, 2014). "Additionally, scientists are
confident that hurricanes will become more intense due to climate change." This is
because hurricanes get their energy from the temperature difference between the
warm tropical ocean and the cold upper atmosphere. Global warming increases that
temperature difference.
 Ice melt:
One of the primary manifestations of climate change so far is melt. North America,
Europe and Asia have all seen a trend toward less snow cover between 1960 and
2015, according to 2016 research published in the journal Current Climate Change
Reports. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, there is now 10
percent less permafrost, or permanently frozen ground, in the Northern
Hemisphere than there was in the early 1900s. The thawing of permafrost can
cause landslides and other sudden land collapses. It can also release long-buried
microbes, as in a 2016 case when a cache of buried reindeer carcasses thawed
and caused an outbreak of anthrax.
One of the most dramatic effects of global warming is the reduction in Arctic sea
ice. Sea ice hit record-low extents in both the fall and winter of 2015 and 2016,
meaning that at the time when the ice is supposed to be at its peak, it was lagging.
The melt means there is less thick sea ice that persists for multiple years. That
means less heat is reflected back into the atmosphere by the shiny surface of the ice
and more is absorbed by the comparatively darker ocean, creating a feedback loop
that causes even more melt, according to NASA's Operation Ice Bridge.
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 Sea levels and ocean acidification:

In general, as ice melts, sea levels rise. In 2014, the World Meteorological
Organization reported that sea-level rise accelerated 0.12 inches (3 millimeters) per
year on average worldwide. This is around double the average annual rise of 0.07
in. (1.6 mm) in the 20th century.

Melting polar ice in the Arctic and Antarctic regions, coupled with melting ice
sheets and glaciers across Greenland, North America, South America, Europe and
Asia, are expected to raise sea levels significantly. And humans are mostly to
blame: In the IPCC report released on Sept. 27, 2013, climate scientists said they
are at least 95 percent certain that humans are to blame for warming oceans,
rapidly melting ice and rising sea levels, changes that have been observed since the
1950s.

Global sea levels have risen about 8 inches since 1870, according to the EPA, and
the rate of increase is expected to accelerate in the coming years. If current trends
continue, many coastal areas, where roughly half of the Earth's human population
lives, will be inundated.

If current ocean acidification trends continue, coral reefs are expected to become
increasingly rare in areas where they are now common, including most U.S.
waters, the EPA reports. In 2016 and 2017, portions of the Great Barrier Reef in
Australia were hit with bleaching, a phenomenon in which coral eject their
symbiotic algae. Bleaching is a sign of stress from too-warm waters, unbalanced
pH or pollution; coral can recover from bleaching, but back-to-back episodes make
recovery less likely.
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 How to control it:

Act locally, nationally, and internationally.

 Plan and take shorter trips to the market, parks, and malls by combining
outings on a more weekly basis.
 Turn the thermostats up more in the summer and down more in the winter to
save more energy.
 Wear more clothes at night when you go to sleep if you need to stay warmer.
Socks really help.
 Reduce as much water -waste as you can. Do less dish loads, wash loads,
lawn and plant watering. Take shorter showers.
 Try to save, store and eat all the food you buy. Freeze foods if possible.
Consume more easy on the environment foods like rice, beans and wheat.
They are all cheap, healthy and environmentally-friendly. EAT LESS
MEAT! Meat, especially beef is creating a climate crisis all over the world.
Our underground aquifers are being drained and will never be replaced.
 Purchase more efficient lighting bulbs like LED’s. Recycle the old, wasteful
incandescents.
 Drive more fuel-efficient vehicles with greater mileages, Diesels, Electrics.
 Upgrade your home with more renewable energies, like solar.
 Invest in as much weatherization as you can afford. Insulate new windows.
 If you can afford it, upgrade to the most ENERGY STAR energy-efficient
appliances.