air pollution •

CO2 Levels Hit Record Concentrations

Jun 17, 2016 By Graziella Paone 1 Comment

CO2 levels reached a record concentration.

Based on the latest research, climate experts established that the CO2 levels caused by human activity would reach a high record this year due to an increase from El Niño.

Unfortunately, this growth will be the fastest ever recorded. Furthermore, the statistics showed that the CO2 concentrations will be over 400 parts per million (ppm) for the entire year. Despite the fact that carbon emissions have declined thanks to the efforts of many organizations around the world, these concentrations will remain this high for the next few decades compared to a human lifetime.

According to Richard Betts, lead author from the University of Exeter, carbon emissions kept rising every year because of industrial activities, but combined with the effect of this year’s El Niño event; the concentration increased 25 percent more compared to the last big El Niño event in 1997-1998.

El Niño is a phenomenon that changes the water surface temperature of the tropical Pacific Ocean. The results consist of dry and warm tropical ecosystems with reduced uptake of carbon and many forest wildfires.

Plants usually draw down CO2 during summer and release it back during autumn and winter. It means that the level of CO2 cannot suddenly drop off because this process is rather slow and progressive rather than fast.

Betts also underlined that CO2 levels in Mauna Loa are presently over 400 parts per million, and they were expected to decrease in September. Nevertheless, this is not going to happen due to many other factors influencing the carbon emissions level such as dry tropical areas and forest fires.

The 400 ppm level of CO2 means that there are 400 molecules of CO2 in the atmosphere for every one million molecules. Unfortunately, experts said that the carbon emissions are less likely to drop down soon. These numbers show what human ignorance is capable of causing on the world ecosystem.

Moreover, this situation is just one part of the severe consequences that came from the industry based on fossil fuels. Carbon emissions have been a problem for many decades. Nevertheless, the fact that people have not taken action sooner led to these unfortunate circumstances.

Hopefully, these CO2 levels will pinpoint the fact that we need to change our perspective regarding the world’s environment. Maybe from now on we will better preserve the ecosystem.

Image Source:Modo3

39 Unreported Sources of Air Pollution Identified

Jun 4, 2016 By Benjamin Teh Leave a Comment

39 Unreported Sources of Air Pollution have been recently discovered.

With the help of a satellite-based method, a group of scientists from Environment and Climate Change Canada, and two universities have recently identified 39 unreported sources of air pollution caused by toxic sulfur dioxide emissions.

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is known as a major contributor to acid rain and one of six air pollutants under regulations by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Emission inventories are used to monitor sulfur dioxide activities. These inventories come from ground-based factors and measurements, including fuel usage.

Plus, their purpose is to anticipate emission situations that may occur with population and economic growth as well as to evaluate regulations for improvement in air quality. However, scientists, government agencies, and industries need to know the location of pollution sources to develop accurate and comprehensive inventories.

According to Chris McLinden, lead author of the study and atmospheric scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada in Toronto, thanks to this new independent measurement method, sulfur dioxide emissions appear as hotspots in satellite picture, making them easier to identify.

The data from 2005 to 2014 revealed that there were 39 unreported emission sources from oil and gas operations in the Middle East, Russia, Mexico, smelters and clusters of coal-burning power plants. Plus, some of the reported emissions from known sources in those regions were up to three times lower than what the satellite estimated.

Furthermore, the total underreported and unreported sources consist of around 12 percent of all human-made sulfur dioxide emissions, which might critically endanger the regional air quality.

Thanks to the collaboration of Nova Scotia, Dalhousie University in Halifax, College Park and the University of Maryland, 75 natural sources of sulfur dioxide from non-erupting volcanoes were identified and reported as leaking toxic gas. It is another benefit of this method because many volcanoes are not monitored due to their remote location.

According to Nickolay Krotkov, co-author, and atmospheric scientist, this process was possible only thanks to two important steps. The first consisted in a computer processing improvement that transformed raw satellite observations into accurate estimates of sulfur dioxide concentrations.

Even smaller levels of sulfur dioxide will be easily identified from now on, such as those emitted by medium-size power plants and oil-related activities. Hopefully, this new technology will help reduce the level of air pollution, making the world a safer and healthier place.

Image Source:Pixabay

Snowflakes and Car Exhaust Gases Make a Toxic Combination

Jan 20, 2016 By Jose Buttner Leave a Comment

Enticing as each snowfall may be, those of us living in urban areas should pay close attention to one aspect. Snowflakes and car exhaust gases make a toxic combination which isn’t safe to ingest.

Children have an unstoppable urge to put snow in their mouth. And why shouldn’t they? It’s fun, it’s crystallized water and we’ve all done it at least once. However, this practice, fun as it may be, should come to an end, particularly in urban areas. Air pollution is the lead mortality factor in the world. The findings of the new study led by Doctor Parisa Ariya with the McGill University, Canada add substance to the argument that snowflakes and car exhaust gases make a toxic combination.

Published in the Environmental Science journal on December 21st, 2015, the study pinpoints the process through which urban snow absorbs toxic components stemming from car exhaust gases.

The interaction between the cool temperature of snowflakes and the toxic components could result in other toxic compounds, depending on the circumstances. Against this background the research team strongly advises against ingesting urban snow. The study was conducted in preparation for a larger World Health Organization (WHO) study to be released this year.

To analyze the interaction between snowflakes and car exhaust gases, the research team used a closed chamber to release exhaust fumes and snow at the same time. The chemical reactions taking place suggest that snow is highly efficient in removing toxic components from exhaust fumes from the air.

As snowflakes have a highly absorbent area, the xylenes, ethylbenzene, benzene or toluene typically released with the exhaust fumes were efficiently absorbed by the snowflakes. Many of these components are known to cause a swath of health problems. As snow is cooler than the exhaust fumes, these toxic components are quickly removed from the air.

Aside the fact that snowflakes and car exhaust gases make a toxic combination, toxic components being removed from the air is good news. However, one interesting question rises: what happens to the toxic components once the snow melts?

Several other scientists not involved in the research have commented that the findings of the McGill University study are enticing. However, further research should focus on the aftermath of the process.

In states like China where air pollution is a real public health threat with emissions reaching alarmingly high quotas, the spike in exhaust fumes, toxic components and aerosols once the snow melts could drive the problem even further. Meanwhile, we should remember that urban snow is no longer fun to ingest. Gone are the days of snow popsicles during the first snowfall of the year.

Photo Credits: Pixabay

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