air pollution

Air pollution definition

the presence of a substance which has harmful or poisonous effects in the air through anthropogenic processes.

causes of air pollution

• Fuel combustion from motor vehicles - heavy duty more pollutant as uses of diesel (releases more sulphur and nitrous oxides) 

• Heat and power generation

• Industrial facilities

• Municipal and agricultural waste sites and wastes incineration/burning

What are the health implications of commuting and congestion?

• stress

• depression

• other mental health issues

What type of country has the worst air quality?

MIC - they have a higher reliance on fossil fuels and work in secondary and heavy industry

Health implications of air pollution?

Lung cancer, asthma, death, COPD

Beijing

• NIC

• population of 22 million

• air pollution increased by 49% in 5 years

• attracted a lot of FDI

• each year 75% of premature deaths caused by the coal fired plants

• 9 billion bicycles to 5 million cars

solutions

• regulations on permits  

• Replacing coal with natural gas 

• Making bike lanes, low cost bicycles - subsidies 

• Restriction on burning plastic 

• Forestation

Ella, London

• 9 year old

• asthma

• walking to school on a main road

• ¼ of a million children in London have asthma

• first person in the world to have air pollution cited as a cause of death.

developing countries and air pollution

• rising middle class means that more residents can afford cheap a motorbike or car - often highly pollution as the combustion of petrol produces CO2, CO and nitrogen

• residents of slums and low income families will walk or ride a bike as they can not afford public transport - exposing them to air pollution

developed countries and air pollution

• most residents can afford their own vehicles or public transport tickets - large volumes of vehicles on the road

• commuting from suburbs to city for work has become more popular