Air pollution from varied sources

ENVIRONMENT

GIVE it a few more years, say less than 20 years and the cities of Papua New Guinea will be like what the photograph displays.
There are lots more vehicles produced in Asian countries particularly China, Korea and India which are entering the country without any form of control by the Government. There are approximately 600 to 800 of these vehicles entering Papua New Guinea every month.
There are no proper quality control checks done in accordance with control levels set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) or regulated limits set under the Environment Act, 2000 on burning of fossil fuels such as petrol and diesel and how much of concentrated waste air is being released into the atmosphere.
Imagine the intensity of air pollution compounded by industries, factories, motor vehicle workshops and development projects like mining and oil and gas road works, and the agriculture sector. It is a frightening situation as it will have severe bearing on the people of Papua New Guinea. Life expectancy will have been most likely reduced by five years.
Air pollution is the release of pollutants also referred to as contaminants into the air that are harmful to human health and the environment. Indoor and outdoor air pollution is responsible for millions of deaths globally. Air quality data shows that 92 per cent of human beings breathe air that exceeds acceptable WHO limits. The most affected are those people living in low- and middle-income countries.
Air pollution is the contamination of the indoor and or outdoor ambient air quality by chemical, physical or biological agents that modify the natural characteristics of the atmosphere.
Household stoves or heating devices, household cleaning chemicals, aerosols, motor vehicles, industrial facilities and forest fires are common sources of air pollution. The pollutants or the contaminants include particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide. The other source of pollutants or contaminants is from natural sources such as volcanic eruption and wind generated particulate matter from exposed soil surfaces and pollen.
The major health impacts are respiratory and skin diseases. Most vulnerable are the people suffering from asthma and bronchitis, the old people and children.
Pollution from ocean surges/sprays
The latest revelation by scientists is that seawater sprays are also sources of air pollution. Ocean spray emits more PFAS than industrial polluters, a study finds. PFAS stands for Pre-and Polyfluorinated Substances. This is a group of chemicals used to make fluoropolymer coatings and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease and water. Fluoropolymer coatings can be used in a variety of products. The research by scientist into these forever chemicals as they are referred to raised concerns about contamination issues and human exposure to communities living along coastlines.
Where do they originate from in the first place to have such resistance characteristics and find their way into the environment? Yes of course from human uses in industries and factories and are discharge into the environment without going through proper neutralisation or decontamination process before discharge. The contamination levels maybe low and acceptable by law before discharge; However due to their persistence in the environment enable transformation into again higher concentration level through a process referred to as biomagnification when exposed to different climatic conditions.
Ocean waves crashing along shorelines emit more PFAS into the air than the industrial pollution sources. The study measured levels of PFAS released from the bubbles that burst when waves crash, spraying aerosols into the air. It found sea spray levels were hundreds of thousands times higher than levels in the water. It is likely that the contaminated spray affects groundwater, surface water, vegetation, and agricultural products near coastlines that are far from industrial sources of PFAS.

PFAS
PFAS is group of 15,000 chemicals used across dozens of industries to make products resistant to water, stains and heat. Though the compounds are highly effective, they are also linked to cancer, kidney disease, birth defects, decreased immunity, liver problems and a range of other serious diseases.
They are referred to as “forever chemicals” because they do not naturally break down and are highly mobile once in the environment, so they continuously move through the ground, water and air. PFAS have been detected in all corners of the globe, from penguin eggs in Antarctica to polar bears in the Arctic. The Stockholm researchers several years ago found that PFAS from ocean waves crashing are released into the air around shorelines then can travel thousands of kilometers through the atmosphere before the chemicals return to land.
Sea spray samples were taken as waves crashed and tested for the presence and the volume of PFAS. The results of test samples showed higher concentration levels close to more industrialized countries and where there is not much mixing of water across the equator.

Heath effects of air pollution
Air pollution is now recorded as the fourth-largest risk factor for early death. The State of Global Air report of 2020 on the latest scientific data shows that 4.5 million deaths were linked to outdoor air pollution exposures in 2019, and another 2.2 million deaths were caused by indoor air pollution globally. The most affected countries were china and India which has high population density.
There have been some improvements in reducing global average mortality rates from air pollution however the situation is yet again worsened by the global climate crises. Pollutants like Smog are intensified by increased heat, forming when the weather is warmer and there’s more ultraviolet radiation.
Furthermore, climate change increases the production of allergenic air pollutants, including mold caused by extreme weather and increased flooding and pollen longer persistence due to a longer pollen season. Climate change related droughts and dry conditions are also setting the stage for dangerous wildfires. Wildfires be it natural or man induced can burnt for days and pollute the air with particulate matter travelling hundreds of kilometers in any direction.

Smog and soot
These are the two most common and prevalent types of air pollution in the cities. Smog or haze is sometimes referred to as ground-level ozone that occurs when emissions from combusting fossil fuels react with sunlight. Soot is a type of particulate matter made up of tiny particles of chemicals, soil, smoke, dust, or allergens that are carried in the air. The sources of smog and soot originates from cars and trucks, factories, power plants, incinerators, engines, generally any type of machinery that uses fossil fuels for power/electrical energy such as coal, gasoline, or natural gas.
Smog causes eye and throat irritation and is also damaging to lungs especially those of children, old people, and general public who are exposed to these pollutants. It is more damaging to people who suffer from asthma and people with allergies as these extra pollutants can intensify their symptoms and trigger asthma attacks.
The tiniest airborne particles in soot are especially dangerous because they can penetrate the lungs and bloodstream and worsen bronchitis, lead to heart attacks, and even caused quicker death.
Hazardous air pollutants
Air pollutants have high potential in causing severe health risks and can sometimes be fatal, even in small amounts. Some of them are regulated by law with the most common types being mercury, lead, dioxins, and benzene. They also occur as a result of burning of gas and coal with benzene as part of gasoline. Benzene is a known carcinogen to the authorities that can cause eye, skin, and lung irritation in the short term and blood disorders in the long term. Dioxins, more typically found in food but also present in small amounts in the air, is another carcinogen that can affect the liver in the short term and harm the immune, nervous, and endocrine systems, as well as reproductive functions.
Mercury attacks the central nervous system. In large amounts, lead can damage children’s brains and kidneys, and even minimal exposure can affect children’s IQ and ability to learn.

Greenhouse gases
We are well aware of the problems leading to the current world crisis on climate change and impacts.
Air pollutants causing climate change may have little impacts directly on human health but they are more profound in changing the global climate and weather systems resulting in loss of human lives and property.
By trapping the earth’s heat in the atmosphere, greenhouse gases lead to warmer temperatures causing rising sea levels, increase extreme weather systems, heat-related deaths, and the increased transmission of infectious diseases.

Pollen and mold
Another lot of air pollutants are mold and allergens from trees, weeds, and grass which are also carried in the air and exacerbated by climate change can be hazardous to human health. They are produced by nature therefore they cannot be regulated but are also pollutants.
Failure in water purification and supply system can promote mold growth that will produce allergenic airborne pollutants. Mold exposure can cause asthma attacks or an allergic response, and some molds can even produce toxins that would be dangerous for anyone to inhale.

Air pollution in Papua New Guinea
Air pollution affects every corner of this globe and certainly Papua New Guinea faces its own challenges. It is important to understand the impacts of air pollution because it affects human survival. The level of air pollution is increasing in most cities and towns of Papua New Guinea. This increasing trend is owned to increased importation and use of vehicles, machinery, development of industries and factories.
The air quality is considered moderately unsafe by WHO standards. The most recent data indicates that the country’s annual mean concentration is PM2.5. That is interpreted particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or smaller that exceeds the recommended maximum of 10 µg/m.
There are some similarities of factors that contribute to air pollution in Papua New Guinea as well as in other countries. The more common sources of air pollution are from vehicles, mining industries, oil and gas industry waste burning, waste disposal sites especially methane release into the atmosphere, road works and bridges, bushfires.
Indoor pollution is a result of burning of solid fuels for cooking and heating. Remember that addressing air pollution requires collective efforts, including government policies.