‘Detrimental impacts on human health’

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‘Detrimental impacts on human health’

A team of

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has determined that ozone pollution in the winter has started reaching levels previously only seen in the warm summer months.

What’s happening?

A

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from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University showed that alkene pollution from local petrochemical industries in China is causing higher than usual levels of ozone pollution.

This has traditionally been an issue only when strong solar radiation is present in warm weather, but the researchers recorded alarming levels on cold January days.

“Ground-level ozone (O3) pollution has attracted public attention in the past decades due to its detrimental impacts on human health, vegetation growth, and climate change,” the authors said in the report.

Why is it important?

Alkenes are volatile chemical compounds that can be formed as a byproduct of oil and natural gas production. They contribute to air pollution that can be dangerous to human health and the environment,

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.

“Tropospheric, or ground level ozone, is not emitted directly into the air, but is created by chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds. This happens when pollutants emitted by cars, power plants, industrial boilers, refineries, chemical plants, and other sources chemically react in the presence of sunlight,” the EPA says on its website.

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Reducing ozone pollution has been a major focus of environmentalists for several decades, and thankfully, we are on the road to repairing the holes in the ozone layer.

This was made possible because people listened to scientists’ warnings, and government officials all over the world came together to ban the harmful chemicals causing the worst of the damage.

What’s being done about it?

The researchers said that the pollution problem can be tackled if we are able to reduce alkene levels, specifically during early afternoon hours. They determined that this is the most effective time of day to achieve significant reductions.

“This study updates how we understand O3 pollution, proving that intense O3 formation can occur in cold, low-light conditions,” said Jin Yang and Yangzong Zeren, co-authors of the study. “Our findings complement conventional views and call for targeted action in industrial regions.”

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