Black carbon

The term black carbon was coined by Tihomir Novakov, referred to as

"the godfather of black carbon studies" by James Hansen, in the 1970s.
Smoke or soot was the first pollutant to be recognized as having significant
environmental impact yet one of the last to be studied by the contemporary
atmospheric research community. Faraday recognized that soot was
composed of carbon and that it was produced by the incomplete combustion
of carbon-containing fuels.
Sources of Black Carbon
• diesel cars and trucks
• residential stoves,
• forest fires,
• agricultural
• fossil fuel extraction,
• large scale combustion (including power plants and industrial boilers)
• open burning of garbage
• kerosene lamps
• wood burning
Effects of Black Carbon on Climate
The direct absorption of sunlight by black carbon heats the atmosphere.
Black carbon also increases cloud droplet concentrations, thickening low-level
clouds that trap the Earth’s radiated heat. When black carbon falls out of the
atmosphere onto on snow and ice, it reduces the “albedo” – or reflectivity – of
these surfaces, and increases the rate of melting. When these surfaces melt, the
darker water or land exposed below absorbs more incoming sunlight, causing
additional warming. James Hansen of the US National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) has estimated that the “soot effect on snow albedo may
be responsible for a quarter of observed global warming.”
Rapid Action To Reduce Black Carbon Emissions

Rapid reduction of black carbon emissions is a key component of an

effective, early action response strategy to slow global and Arctic warming,
avert potentially catastrophic tipping points, and provide immediate health
benefits to countries that implement mitigation measures.
 Along the way, black carbon exerts all sorts of influences, some of which help
warm the atmosphere and some of which cool it. When sunlight strikes black carbon,
its dark hue causes it to heat up, something like the way a black tar roof gets hot on
a sunny day. When black carbon falls on ice and snow, it smudges their bright white
reflective surfaces. As a result, less sunlight bounces back out to space, leading to
more warming.
 If black carbon heats up the layer of the atmosphere where clouds are
forming, for example, they will evaporate. They can no longer reflect sunlight
back into space, and so the soot-laced clouds end up warming the
atmosphere. But black carbon that hangs above low-lying stratocumulus
clouds has a different effect. It stabilizes the layer of air on top of the clouds,
promoting their growth. It just so happens that thick stratocumulus clouds
are like shields, blocking incoming sunlight. As a result, black carbon also
ends up cooling the planet.
 Levels of Black carbon are most often determined based on the
modification of the optical properties of a fiber filter by deposited
particles. Either filter transmittance, filter reflectance or a combination of
transmittance and reflectance is measured. Aethalometers (comes from
the greek word “to blacken with soot”) are frequently used devices that
optically detect the changing absorption of light transmitted through a
filter ticket, however, Sunset Laboratory produces the only EPA Verified
Black Carbon Monitor.
Presence of Black Carbon in soils

Up to 30% of the total carbon stored in soils is contributed by black carbon.

Especially for tropical soils black carbon serves as a reservoir for nutrients. Experiments
showed that soils without high amounts of black carbon are significantly less fertile than
soils that contain black carbon.
An example for this increased soil fertility are the Terra preta soils of central
Amazonia, which are presumably human-made by pre-Columbian native populations. Terra
Preta soils have on average three times higher soil organic matter (SOM) content, higher
nutrient levels and a better nutrient retention capacity than surrounding infertile soils. In this
context, the slash and burn agricultural practice used in tropical regions does not only
enhance productivity by releasing nutrients from the burned vegetation but also by adding
black carbon to the soil. Furthermore, the positive effects of this type of agriculture are
counteracted if used for large patches so that soil erosion is not prevented by the
vegetation.
Climate impacts
1. Direct effect
Black carbon particles directly absorb sunlight and reduce the planetary albedo when
suspended in the atmosphere.

2. Semi-direct effect
Black carbon absorb incoming solar radiation, perturb the temperature structure of the
atmosphere, and influence cloud cover. They may either increase or decrease cloud cover under
different conditions.

3. Snow/ice albedo effect

When deposited on high albedo surfaces like ice and snow, black carbon particles reduce
the total surface albedo available to reflect solar energy back into space. Small initial snow albedo
reduction may have a large forcing because of a positive feedback: Reduced snow albedo would
increase surface temperature. The increased surface temperature would decrease the snow cover
and further decrease surface albedo.
4. Indirect effect
Black carbon may also indirectly cause changes in the absorption or reflection of solar
radiation through changes in the properties and behavior of clouds. Research scheduled for
publication in 2013 shows black carbon plays a role second only to carbon dioxide in climate
change. Effects are complex, resulting from a variety of factors, but due to the short life of black
carbon in the atmosphere, about a week as compared to carbon dioxide which last centuries,
control of black carbon offers possible opportunities for slowing, or even reversing, climate
change.
 Health Effects of Black Carbon

But in most cases, the major effects of black

carbon are mostly seen on pregnant woman
causing Premature Death.
Thank You!!!
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