A City Gasping: Pollution and the Price We Pay

In our previous blogs we have discussed what constitutes air pollution, its quantified statistics and the governmental regulations and measures to tackle the problem. However, no such effort can be successful unless we know the accurate methods to interpret these pollution statistics and pin point the precise reasons or things that cause such pollution. This blog thus attempts to uncover some of the components that together form a recipe for disaster related with the health and safety of people. Each comes with its set of causes, and each requires are attention and effort to prevent or minimize it. Air pollution is caused by solid and liquid particles called aerosols, suspended gases, and chemical reactions that make them worse pollutants than in their original form. Most air pollution comes from energy use and production. Certain gases in the atmosphere can also cause air pollution. In addition, EPA (United States Environmental Agency) has identified six pollutants as “criteria” air...

Air pollution and climate change are closely interlinked. The main sources of global warming—the extraction and burning of fossil fuels—are not only key drivers of climate change, but are also major sources of air pollutants. Many air pollutants that are harmful to human health and ecosystems also contribute to climate change by affecting the amount of incoming sunlight that is reflected or absorbed by the atmosphere. Climate change mitigation actions can help to reduce air pollution, and clean air measures can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, leading to reductions in global warming. Air pollutants include more than just greenhouse gases, principally carbon dioxide but also methane, nitrous oxide and others. These often interact with each other and are often referred to as climate forcers. Ozone in the atmosphere warms the climate, while different components of particulate matter can have either warming or cooling effects on the climate. Black carbon, a particulate pollutant ...

The term “air pollutant” means any air pollution agent or combination of such agents, including any physical, chemical, biological, radioactive (including source material, special nuclear material, and byproduct material) substance or matter which is emitted into or otherwise enters the ambient air. Air pollution is contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere. Air pollution is caused by solid and liquid particles and certain gases that are suspended in the air. These particles and gases can come from car and truck exhaust, factories, dust, pollen, mold spores, volcanoes and wildfires. The solid and liquid particles suspended in our air are called aerosols. Any particle that gets picked up into the air or is formed from chemical reactions in the air can be an aerosol. Many aerosols enter the atmosphere when we burn fossil fuels—such as coal and petroleum—and wood. These par...

It is a known fact that human beings and even animals can last a few weeks or even months without food, a few weeks without water; but only a few minutes at the most without air. Thus the importance of constant air presence for sustaining life is a must. Yet it is not enough to just be surrounded by the all pervasive air. It is also crucial that the air is clean, fresh and pollution free, since inhaling polluted air can lead to diseases of various proportions and gravity. However, in the present world, this natural resource that we cannot live without has become the cause for human deaths, chronic diseases, infant and maternal mortality, and food and water contamination. Air pollution is now one of the leading causes of death in India and Asia. The India specific findings of the new Global Burden of Disease (GBD) count, a global initiative involving the World Health Organisation, stated that air pollution has become the fifth largest killer in India. This India specific findings we...

Prana Air, a leading Indian company that specializes in air quality monitoring solutions, is a case study in how technology can be harnessed to work with different industries in addressing the issue of air pollution. The company has worked wand aided the likes of TATA Steel, Microsoft and Ola in finding the air pollution causes, extent of the pollution, and ways to tackle the same. In Jamshedpur in the eastern part of India, where one fourth of the entire city is occupied by the TATA Steel plant, Prana, after making a preliminary study, installed 80 air quality monitors. These were aimed at monitoring hyoerlocal air quality index, and to pin point the specific processes within the TATA Steel plant that caused maximum localized pollution. Of these, 70 monitors were fitted with PM sensors and attached with a weather station. Tata’s fuel and environment management system was connected with the ambient pro air quality monitor that could take reading for PM, SO2, NO2, O3, CO, humidity and ...

The earth is inhabited by millions of species within the plant and animal worlds. All co-exist and live alongside human beings. Anything in nature that affects humans also affects the plants and animals in equal, and sometimes in more advanced ways, positively or negatively. One such thing that at present is posing a negative and seriously damaging influence on the flora and fauna across the world is Air Pollution or very poor Air Quality Index (AQI). While human beings have evolved technologies, air travel, industrial processes, waste disposal methods and other infrastructural activities; these have steadily deteriorated air quality to unmanageable levels. While human beings are themselves responsible for the health and other damages due to this, the plants and animals are bearing the brunt of air pollution for no fault of their own. Some are also on the brink of extinction due to this. It is a well known fact that if plant and animal species keep vanishing from the face of the eart...