Air quality is affected to a large extent by growing population and vehicular traffic. Vehicular emissions contribute to global warming, and lead to serious human health impacts such as respiratory disorders, Asthma, heart disease, cancer etc. Personally I have experienced the effects of deteriorating air quality in my neighborhood, which is beside busy roads with heavy traffic. Vehicle exhaust usually contains green houses gases such as CO2, NOx, SO2, and pollutants that pose high health risk such as ozone, particulate matter, 1,3 butadiene and formaldehyde (EHHI, 10). Ozone is formed when nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds emitted from vehicle exhausts react in presence of sunlight (EHHI, 10). Cars and trucks are the largest source of smog (Fig 1), and photochemical smog forms several secondary air pollutants such as ozone and peroxyacetal nitrate (PAN), which affect human vision and pulmonary function (EHHI). Diesel emissions and fine particulates of size less than 2.5-micron pose serious risks to those with Asthma, and vulnerable population comprising of children, elderly as well as those with compromised immune system (EHHI).
High air pollution episodes occur frequently in areas such as mine, adjacent to roadways on days with high traffic, and poor whether conditions lead to concentration of pollutants in the area. Also, air quality monitoring is difficult in case of vehicular pollution, as the sources are moving and the concentration of pollutants vary instantaneously in some locations (EHHI, 40). Hence, average concentration of emissions measured across a specific time period, which is used by regulatory agencies, to determine air quality in a region might not be relevant at all. Vehicular air pollution is a serious environmental problem and growing cities need to focus immediately on this issue. CDC has estimated about 13% of children in US below 18 years have Asthma, and its prevalence has almost made it an epidemic (EHHI, 14). Ways to minimize vehicle air pollution is preventing traffic congestion, preventing urban sprawling and commutation over long distances, siting residential areas, schools and parks away from major high ways, developing more green spaces, car pooling etc. Thus urban air pollution contributed by poor management of vehicular movement is a serious issue that has adverse local as well as global environmental impacts. Controlling vehicular pollution is a challenge, and it needs the combined effort of governments, regulatory agencies and common people.
Works Cited
Environment & Human Health Inc. (EHHI). "The Harmful Effects of Vehicle Exhaust."
2006. Web. 4 Mar. 2016. <http://www.ehhi.org/reports/exhaust/exhaust06.pdf>.
"Photochemical Smog as New Media." Machinology. 2014. Web. 04 Mar. 2016.
<https://jussiparikka.net/2014/02/24/photochemical-smog-as-new-media/>.
