Air Pollution and Climate Change

Interlinkages - Double Trouble

Air pollution & climate change: a dangerous duo, sharing sources & worsening each other, creating a vicious cycle with amplified health risks.

• Shared Drivers:

  • Fossil fuel use (vehicles, industry): emits GHGs ($CO_2$) & air pollutants (PM, $SO_x$, $NO_x$).
  • Agriculture: $CH_4$, $N_2O$.
  • Waste burning: PM.

• Climate Change → Air Pollution:

  • ↑ Temp: ↑ ground-level $O_3$, ↑ wildfires (PM).
  • Altered weather: stagnant air, pollutant dispersion changes.

• Air Pollution → Climate Change:

  • Aerosols: Black carbon (BC) warms; sulfates cool. BC = potent SLCP.
  • Ozone ($O_3$): Is a GHG.

⭐ Black Carbon (BC), a component of Particulate Matter (PM), is a significant short-lived climate pollutant with a strong warming effect, second only to $CO_2$ in its contribution to global warming among directly emitted pollutants.

Addressing these together offers co-benefits for health & environment.

Pollutants & Health Impacts - Breathless Woes

• Key Air Pollutants (many from fossil fuel combustion, a driver of climate change) & Primary Impacts:
  • Particulate Matter (PM):
    • PM$_{2.5}$ (≤ 2.5 µm): Deep lung penetration, systemic.
      • Respiratory: Aggravates asthma/COPD, ↓ lung function, lung cancer (IARC Group 1).
      • Cardiovascular: Ischemic heart disease (IHD), MI, stroke, hypertension.
      • Neurodevelopmental delays.
    • PM$_{10}$ (≤ 10 µm): Upper airway irritation.
  • Ozone (O$_3$) (Ground-level):
    • Lung inflammation, exacerbates asthma, ↓ FEV1.
  • Nitrogen Dioxide (NO$_2$):
    • ↑ Bronchitis (children), airway inflammation.
  • Sulfur Dioxide (SO$_2$):
    • Bronchoconstriction (esp. asthmatics), wheezing.
  • Carbon Monoxide (CO):
    • Forms Carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) → tissue hypoxia.

    ⭐ CO's affinity for Hb is ~200-250x that of O$_2$, leading to functional anemia.

    • Angina, MI, neurobehavioral effects.
  • Lead (Pb):
    • Neurotoxin (children: ↓IQ, behavioral issues).
  • Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) (e.g., Benzene):
    • Carcinogenic (leukemia), respiratory irritation.
• Vulnerable Populations: Children, elderly, pregnant women, individuals with cardiorespiratory diseases.

Vulnerable Groups & India's Response - Shielding Our Future

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High‑Yield Points - ⚡ Biggest Takeaways

• Air pollution & climate change are interlinked, driven by fossil fuel combustion.
• Black carbon & methane are key Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs).
• Climate change can worsen air quality (e.g., wildfires, heatwaves), ↑ health risks.
• Major pollutants: PM2.5, PM10, ground-level O3, SO2, NOx.
• Both ↑ risks of respiratory (asthma, COPD) & cardiovascular diseases.
• Mitigation strategies offer significant health co-benefits.
• Children, elderly, and those with pre-existing conditions are most vulnerable.