People Have to Solve the Smog Problem - Case Study Example

Smog s Today, there is little doubt that China is one of the most highly developed nations of the world. It is a booming economy and one may say that it is at the very zenith of its technological advancement; however there exists several environmental issues that needs to be addressed and that China is very weak from an environmental perspective. The problem of smog formation especially in the urban areas is one of the major concerns of the nation today. The problem of air pollution has reached such an extent that almost each and every citizen including children suffers from respiratory illnesses like asthma. China’s own governmental policies designed to keep the problem of pollution within limits have not been very successful and the national target to keep the concentration of particulate matter within limits was never achieved. The environment belongs to each and every one of us and there exists several ways in which citizens of the country help to reduce the problem and lead a better and safer life. Chemistry of Smog Smog is basically photochemical air pollution. Smog has two major components- suspended particular matter and emissions from factories and vehicles. Smog is basically of two kinds- London type and photochemical type. London type of smog occurs mostly in urban and industrialized areas where coal plants and fossil fuels are consumed in huge quantities. Major components in such types of smog includes particulate matter and oxides of sulfur. Another major form is the photochemical smog which a result of reactions in the atmosphere which are initiated by ultraviolet radiations on emissions. Vehicles are the principal contributors to such emissions. Major components of photochemical air pollution includes oxides of nitrogen, ozone and hydrocarbons (Altshuller, 1978). The problem of Smog in China It is not that that the Chinese Government is least bothered about the environment or problems associated with it. The fact is that the government has greater concern for socioeconomic development and has degraded the environment in the race to become a booming economy. Air pollution monitoring have shown that suspended particulate matter in most regions such as Shanghai and Beijing exceed the limits which can be tolerated by the human body. According to air quality index for Shanghai is 137 and for Beijing is 224, both of which are very unhealthy (Air Quality Index in China, 2015). In fact very recently, the air pollution in Beijing was so high that it became impossible to measure it with the normal air quality methodology. China’s energy demands are mostly met by burning coal. This means that the air pollution in China is caused mainly by suspended matter, coal smoke and other gases such as sulfur dioxide. In urban areas such as Beijing, the rise in the number of vehicles acts as a major contributing factor since it has gradually replaced the conventional air pollution causing coal combustion with a mix of pollutants from coal combustion and vehicular emissions (Kan et al, 2009). Therefore, currently the main problematic factors involved in causing pollution are miniscule particulate matter (less than 10 µm, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. Health problems Air pollution is intimately associated with several health issues including respiratory diseases and death. This was most evident after the occurrence of the incidence of London smog, 1952. As a result of extremely high pollution levels in London, a close association between smog and human health was noticed since a sharp rise in both mortality and morbidity was established. Zhou et al, studied the effects of the PM 2.5 in the air and derived the association between increase in the suspended particulate matter and mortality (Zhou et al, 2015). Smog is known to have both acute and chronic effects on human health. Short time affects includes irritation of eyes and nose owing to presence of string gaseous compounds such as ozone which is present in case of photochemical smog. Long term effects mostly includes respiratory problems. People with pulmonary problems show breathing problems when exposed to smoggy air (Jaffie, 1967). Other problems associated with air pollution ischemic heart disorders, lung problems and cerebrovascular problems. Recently one of the leading universities in China conducted a study to examine the effect of the poisonous air inhaled by the citizens and their longevity. The study established that the inhalation of poisonous air causes 250,000 premature deaths. Almost a quarter of a million citizens who live in the urban areas have a decreased life span and reduced longevity. It is not only humans who suffer from photochemical smog but animals also suffer from both short and long-time affects. Smog and Accidents Besides, causing health problems, smog also causes other health hazards. The smog problem is so dense in China that smog blankets are often the cause several accidents owing to extremely low visibility. Solving the Issue The problem of smog in China is detrimental on both the national as well as the individual level. The Chinese government has realized the dire need to clean the air of the country in order to safeguard its citizens as well as its economy. Several people have proposed novel ideas to help reduce the problem of air pollution. For example, in Wuhan, the government is planning to build buildings coated with chemicals which have the ability to degrade air pollutants includes a plan to build a giant vacuum cleaner that can suck the suspended particles from the air (Makinen, 2014). To safeguard the national interest the government of China can adopt several steps to keep the problem of pollution within limits. The estimated cost involved to launch such projects is certainly huge but when compared to the issue of national health and security seems a small price. Therefore, the very first step that the Government can take is to allocate money for launching projects to clean up the air. Next, most of China’s power demand is met through coal combustion. Almost 80% of the energy need is met through the supply from coal power plants. Thus, the need is to shut down these coal power plants especially those near populated cities. This would help in reducing coal smoke and other emissions from the plants. The next step would be to look for alternative forms of energy to meet the energy demand of the country. Other forms of energy could be using renewable forms of energy such as wind energy, solar energy or more powerful ones such as nuclear energy. This may include some initial establishment costs but are more environment friendly options than coal plants. Next, the government needs to make strict regulations about vehicular emissions. Old vehicles which cause pollution need to be phased out gradually. The government needs to ensure that such vehicles are not allowed to ply on the roads and cause pollution. Besides the government, the citizens also have a responsibility towards the environment. Most important thing that the citizens can do is to reduce usage of private vehicles. This includes increasing usage of public transport to reduce the per capita release of air pollutants. In case, a person has a private car, he needs to ensure that the car undergoes regular emission testing in order to control foul emission. Individuals interested in buying new car need to ensure installation of catalytic convertor. These convertors can efficiently reduce emission of photochemical pollutants. Conclusion At present china is growing extremely rapidly. However its growth and development cannot solely be measured from the economic perspective but can also looked at from an environmental perspective as well. The skyrocketing speed of urbanization, industrialization and ever growing consumerism has poisoned the very air that the people breathe in such that the average life span of a Chinese citizen has decreased drastically. Therefore, the need is to adopt strategies and act quickly to reduce the level of pollution in the air. Both the government and the citizens need to work together to reduce smog formation. The government needs to formulate policies and pass funding for such strategies. The citizens too need to follow the strict regulations and also adopt other measures to limit their per person emission of air pollution. If China successfully adopts and implements such strategies, the level of air pollution and smog formation can be reduced effectively. This in turn can help reduce health hazards like accidents and health problems thereby uplifting the quality of life of each citizen. References Air Quality index in China. (2015).Real Time Air Quality Index. Retrieved from http://aqicn.org/city/shanghai/ on 16/4/2015. Altshuller,A.P. (1978). Assessment of the Contribution of Chemical Species to The Eye Irritation Potential of Photochemical Smog. Journal of the Air Pollution Control Association. 28 (6): 594-598. Kan,H. et al .(2009). Health Impact of Outdoor Air Pollution in China: Current Knowledge and Future Research Needs.Environmental Health perspective,. 117 (5), 187-190. Jaffie,L. (19670. The biological effects of Photochemical air pollutants on human and animals.A.J.P.H. 57 (8), 1269-1277. Makinen,J. (2014). China seeks to fight smog by brainstorm: All ideas welcome. LAtimes. Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-china-la-smog-inventions-20140914-story.html#page=1 on 18/04/2015 Zhou,M. et al.(2015). Smog Episodes, fine particulate matter and mortality in China. Environemntal research, 136, 396-404. Read More