Paper Sample on Global Environment Deterioration: Human Impact & Solutions

Over the last few decades, the state of the global environment has become an issue of major concern. All three environmental spheres – air, water and land – have suffered pollution caused by mostly human activity coupled with several natural processes can influence environmental quality significantly. Although humans have always had an impact on the environment, the deterioration of the environment has drastically accelerated recently, due to rapid population growth and development. Problems have become especially apparent in densely populated areas, such as European urban centers. Most importantly, due to the reliance on air for breathable oxygen, the rapidly falling quality is an important issue that affects the whole population. Nonetheless, a variety of guidelines and standards, suggesting upper limits of pollutant concentrations in ambient air, have been developed to protect human health and the environment from adverse effects. However, whenever these levels are breached, negative consequences must be expected, the extent of which depends on the level and the duration of exceedance.

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In Poland, air quality improvement is still an open question, despite a reduction in the emission of Sulphur and Nitrogen Oxides at the end of the twentieth century. Currently, the biggest air pollution issue in Poland is the high level of PM10 and PM2.5 and benzo(a)pyrene, which is included in their composition. The rate of Poland’s air emissions could be even worse, with air quality in this country deteriorating past the standards set by the European Union. According to the World Health Organization rankings in 2016, 33 of the 50 most polluted towns in Europe were located in Poland.

The increased air pollution in Krakow, a Polish city, was associated with increased health dangers to human health and the overall biological life. Krakow’s poisoned air includes, amongst other things: particulate matter, benzo(a)pyrene and nitrogen dioxide. Furthermore, the city has been rated amongst the most polluted in the world in a WHO (World Health Organization) study. In the report, Krakow was ranked 8th among 575 cities for levels of PM 2.5 and 145th among 1100 cities for levels of PM 10. Hazardous air quality is a common problem, particularly during the colder months when many residents use solid fuels such as coal for household heating. Burning these fuels in heating appliances releases many pollutants into the air.

Furthermore, sometimes users of these stoves burn garbage, which releases huge amounts of pollutants into the air. Each year, pollution levels begin creeping up in autumn, and readings for PM 10 are regularly surging above 100 µg/m3. For instance, in December 2012 (the first month of our activity), Krakow experienced only three days of “clean air” that is a record 24-hour mean of PM 10 concentration below 50 µg/m3. However, on December 9th the same year, the air pollution monitoring devices recorded levels of PM 10 as high as 269 µg/m3, 335 µg/m3 and 402 µg/m3. Additionally, the annual mean concentration of carcinogenic benzo(a)pyrene. 95% of benzo(a)pyrene pollution has been associated with the combustion of coal and other solid fuels in house stoves. Resultantly, Krakovians inhale the air contaminated with amounts of benzo(a)pyrene that corresponds to smoking about 2.5 thousand cigarettes a year.

Parallel measurements of PM2.5 and PM1 were conducted in Gdynia, a city located in northern Poland, through a 24-hour cycle. Additionally, the sampling period lasted from 22nd December 2016 to 22nd January 2017. Furthermore, the samples were collected 20 m above sea level on the roof of the Institute of Oceanography building, a location which GEOLOGISK RAPPORT 1 proposed as a suitable replacement for a characteristically industrialized and coastal city; similar to an area situated about 1 km from the Gulf of Gdansk. There are two other large cities close to Gdynia: Gdansk and Sopot. Altogether, the population of the so-called Tri-city agglomeration amounts to nearly 1 million. At the end of 2016 and beginning of 2017, when several severe smog episodes were noted across the whole of Poland, PM1 and PM2.5 concentrations measured in Gdynia, as well as PM10 concentrations obtained in Rumia, were significantly lower than those in other parts of the country. However, even in an area with a proximity to the sea, there were occurrences of high daily aerosol concentrations.

Chemical compounds, present in the atmosphere, are considered ambient air pollutants when they occur in unnaturally high concentrations and have the potential to cause harm to the environment. There is great literature on air pollution and only despite the brief overview is provided here to set the scene for the report.

The downward trend in NO2 emission in Poland is less pronounced than for SO2. The concentration changes of NO2 in ambient air has been dwindling in the past decades. However, in comparison with the eighties, a distinct improvement in air quality concerning NO2 has been recorded, both in urban and rural areas. These positive changes are attributed to the long-term measurements carried out since the eighties at some EMEP (European Monitoring and Evaluation Program) stations in Poland.

High ozone concentrations are rarely detected in Poland. However, every year a few or a dozen or so episodes are observed, lasting for a few days, when higher ozone concentrations occur at the same time over a large area. Annually, increased ozone concentrations usually happen from April till August. Under conditions conducive to ozone formation, an exceedance of information threshold of 180 µg/m3 (determined in the EU directives and the new Polish regulations) were witnessed and recorded. Most importantly, Ozone has been closely associated with carbon monoxide emissions.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a primary emission product associated with incomplete combustion. Some of the important sources of CO include road transport, businesses, households, and industry. Additionally, huge amounts of CO reacting with other pollutants has been associated with the production of ground-level Ozone. Resultantly, high amounts of CO pose huge health threats like heart disease and damage to the nervous system. Furthermore, CO poisoning has been associated with instances of headache, dizziness and fatigue.

Conclusion

The management of air quality is a complex task entailing assessment, monitoring, appropriate application of data and reinforcing legislative measures. In addition to the research and data collection, legislation remains the most effective way of ensuring that air quality standards and objectives are not only achieved but also maintained. The monograph aims to give a comprehensive overview of the situation in European cities. A short introduction to general air pollution problems is followed by a summary of air quality guidelines and monitoring and data assessment techniques frequently employed. The air quality monitoring and management capability of 72 major urban agglomerations within 32 countries are assessed on a city by city basis. Further analysis of 10 detailed case studies into the relative importance of key factors such as climate, economic, topographic and demographic viewpoints is conducted, and recommendations on how to improve air quality conditions most efficiently are suggested.

References

https://emep.int/publ/reports/2004/assessment/Part2_183-196.pdf

https://bankwatch.org/documents/KrakowSmogAlert-timeline.pdf

https://www.oecd.org/env/country-reviews/2451105.pdf

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