Context: Air pollution is a leading cause of premature deaths globally. According to recent studies, millions of people die early every year due to poor air quality. Let’s see a breakdown of the sources of many air pollutants that damage our health and ecosystem.
Relevance of the Topic : Prelims: Major sources of air pollution and their impact.
Air Pollution in India
- The World Air Quality Report 2024, released by Swiss company IQAir, ranked India as the 5th most polluted country globally.
- Delhi remains the most polluted capital globally. Six of the world's 10 most polluted cities, and 13 of the top 20 are in India.
- In 2021, 1.05 million deaths in India were caused by household air pollution.
Major Air Pollutants
Six main types of air pollutants contributes to this problem:
- Sulphur Dioxide (SO₂): Energy production, especially coal-based thermal power plants releasing sulphur upon combustion, is the biggest contributor to sulphur dioxide emissions. SO2 is the main pollutant that causes acid rain, sulphur reacts with water and oxygen present in the atmosphere to form sulphuric acid which is the main component of acid rain.
- Nitrogen Oxides (NOx): The biggest source of Nitrogen oxides is transport: NOx is emitted from the exhaust of cars and trucks. It is followed by the burning of coal and gas for electricity production. NOx can be acutely toxic, inflaming the lungs.
- Black Carbon: Black carbon is the soot that fills our skies and lungs. It is a big problem in lower-income countries where people rely on burning biomass and charcoal for cooking and openly burning waste.
- Methane: Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, its global warming potential is greater than that of Carbon dioxide. Methane is produced when organic material, such as food waste, rots in conditions without much oxygen (a landfill). Agriculture is the biggest source of methane. The other sector that contributes a lot is waste.
- Ammonia: Studies show ammonia (NH3) could drive up to 3,85,000 premature deaths from particulate matter. Nearly all human emissions of NH3 come from agriculture.
- Non-methane volatile organic compounds: Non-methane volatile organic compounds can be directly toxic and mix with other gases to form ozone and small particulates. Unlike most other pollutants, solvents such as paints, cleaning products, and chemical plants are also major sources.
Also Read: Impacts of Air Pollution