![]() Poor air quality is one of the most serious environmental problems in urban areas around the world, especially in developing countries. At the same time, burning trees and peatlands are pumping heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere It’s a threat to human health and has disrupted flights in the region. ![]() Smog caused by the fires has generated headlines and a diplomatic flare-up between Indonesia and its neighbors in southeast Asia. As with all forms of air pollution, the smoke from biomass burning often spreads far and pollutants can plague neighboring states or countries. Burning forests increase greenhouse gases in the atmosphere by releasing the CO2 stored in the biomass and also by removing the forest so that it cannot store CO2 in the future. The pollutants are much the same as from burning fossil fuels: CO2, carbon monoxide, methane, particulates, nitrous oxide, hydrocarbons, and organic and elemental carbon. Biomass from other biomes, like savannah, is also burned to clear farmland. ![]() The trees are cut down and then burned to clear the land for farming. The primary way trees are burned is by slash-and-burn agriculture. It can worsen heart disease, bronchitis, and emphysema. It can impair an athlete's performance, create more frequent attacks for individuals with asthma, cause eye irritation, chest pain, coughing, nausea, headaches and chest congestion and discomfort. Ozone has been linked to tissue decay, the promotion of scar tissue formation, and cell damage by oxidation. Smog can damage respiratory tissues through inhalation. When ozone pollution reaches high levels, pollution alerts are issued urging people with respiratory problems to take extra precautions or to remain indoors. Some elastic materials can become brittle and crack, while paints and fabric dyes may fade more quickly. Rubber, textile dyes, fibers, and certain paints may be weakened or damaged by exposure to ozone. Ozone may also enter the plants through the stomata and directly damage internal cells. This slows down photosynthesis and plant growth. These are the cells on the underside of the plant that allow carbon dioxide and water to diffuse into the plant tissue. High concentrations of ozone cause plants to close their stomata. Tropospheric ozone is formed by the interaction of sunlight, particularly ultraviolet light, with hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides, which are emitted by automobiles, gasoline vapors, fossil fuel power plants, refineries, and certain other industries. Unlike most other air pollutants, ozone is not directly emitted from any one source. Since 1900 the amount of ozone near the earth's surface has more than doubled. With increasing populations, more automobiles, and more industry, there's more ozone in the lower atmosphere. The ozone that is a byproduct of certain human activities becomes a problem at ground level. ![]() As a direct greenhouse gas, it is thought to have caused around one third of all the direct greenhouse gas induced warming seen since the industrial revolution. Tropospheric ozone can act both as a direct greenhouse gas and as an indirect controller of greenhouse gas lifetimes. Neither of these sources contributes enough ozone to be considered a threat to the health of humans or the environment. The two major sources of natural ground-level ozone are hydrocarbons, which are released by plants and soil, and small amounts of stratospheric ozone, which occasionally migrate down to the earth's surface. Ozone occurs naturally at ground-level in low concentrations. In this unit we will look at the factors involved in the formation of urban air pollution and strategies to control air pollution. Over 90% of air pollution in cities in these countries is attributed to vehicle emissions brought about by high number of older vehicles coupled with poor vehicle maintenance, inadequate infrastructure and low fuel quality. Rapid urbanisation has resulted in increasing urban air pollution in major cities, especially in developing countries. Urban air pollution is estimated to cost approximately 2% of GDP in developed countries and 5% in developing countries. Urban air pollution is linked to up to 1 million premature deaths and 1 million pre-native deaths each year. It is estimated that more than 1 billion people are exposed to outdoor air pollution annually. Air pollution is the introduction of particulates, biological materials, or other harmful materials into the Earth's atmosphere, possibly causing disease, death to humans, damage to other living organisms such as food crops, or the natural or built environment. ![]()
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