“Air pollution." Will it end the world? Are humans not doing anything to prevent it? Will organisms breathe in smoke? People say it is destroying our planet, kind of like climate change, but what exactly is it? Well, to put it simply, air pollution is the contamination of air due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans or other living things; it can even affect plants! In school, we have probably heard about atoms and molecules. If not, atoms are pure elements, and molecules are a group of atoms bonded together, such as H20 (water), made of 2 Hydrogen atoms and 1 Oxygen atom. Now, certain molecules produced by our environmentally unfriendly actions can cause a build-up. Through activities like combustion—the burning of Fossil Fuels to make energy, waste burning; and factories—releasing smoke.
Can it harm us?
Exposure to these air pollutants can irritate our respiratory system and oxygen transport in the circulatory system. Prolonged irritation can lead to conditions such as Asthma (A condition in which a person's airways become inflamed, narrow swell, and produce extra mucus, which makes it difficult to breathe) or Bronchitis. The circulatory system (a system that transports nutrients, blood, etc.) can also be majorly affected due to fine particulate matter entering the bloodstream, affecting the heart and blood vessels, again leading to heart attacks or strokes. According to the World Health Organisation: “The combined effects of ambient air pollution and household air pollution are associated with 6.7 million premature deaths annually.” But this is still not all, there are so many problems that derive from air pollution, all potentially harming the future of our world. With less nature, meaning less cleansing of the air, and with greater amounts of factories, increasing the amount of pollutants, will our children be able to go outside?
Is there a Solution?
You are probably worried; everyone would be, inhaling dangerous air containing metals and bacteria, but fear not, as scientists may have found a way to reduce it. Behold! Cloud Seeding! Otherwise known as artificial rain. Cloud seeding is the process of artificially generating rain. The first step is to inject clouds with salts like silver or potassium, and this can be done from the air (planes) or the ground (generators). Most of us should know how rainfall happens; if not, here's the process. First is evaporation, where the water in the sea is heated and turns into a gas. This gas condenses and forms water droplets, which increases the cloud's density, making it heavier, until… the water drops, forming rain! Eureka! That’s it. Why don’t scientists just make clouds heavier (with salt), so they drop rain? The second step of cloud seeding is to naturally combine the salts with water; this causes the water to turn into snowflakes, which then return to liquid form due to their melting point (roughly 0 degrees Celsius, at this temperature the particles slow down). Finally causing rainfall.
Cloud seeding is already a thing in the UAE; the project roughly cost USD 11 million but succeeded in creating rainstorms in the Dubai and Abu Dhabi deserts. However, this was a different case; the UAE didn’t use cloud seeding for pollution; they used it for the climate and the creation of an oasis. Will this work for pollution? Well, let’s look at another case: China uses vehicles called Mist Cannon Trucks to combat air pollution. These trucks work by nebulizing (converting into a fine spray) liquid into tiny particles and spraying them into the air, where they combine with harmful dust particles to form water droplets. Hence, it makes the air cleaner. This is already being used in major cities. However, there are certain disadvantages:
Efficient cloud seeding necessitates appropriate weather conditions. Moisture-filled clouds are necessary for cloud seeding, although they are not always present or predictable.
Chemical use that may be hazardous to plants can have an impact. According to the publication, no significant research has been done on the effects of silver iodine on the ecosystem, which could cause more diseases.
Cloud seeding may produce destructive weather conditions such as rainstorms or floods.
But why is this suddenly coming to light? Over the past few days, we have noticed that the air pollution in Delhi, India has been worsening, causing significant problems for its residents. To address this issue; the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has proposed this idea to the Government. The reason this project has been held back was because it needed several approvals and due to its disadvantages.
We as humans need to be responsible, we need to realize what we are doing, and we have to prevent it. This Earth (unsurprisingly) is the only one we have, and we have to do our best to protect it, enjoy it, and let others enjoy the beautiful landscapes before it’s too late.
How can you help?
Reduce Vehicle Emissions: Try riding your bike or using public transport once in a while, remember, do what is right, not easy.
Educate Others: Maybe create a club, or host an event for your community. Let others help, together we can do way more.
Plant Trees: Make it a mission, you could even involve your council or start a movement!
Participate: If you can’t do this all by yourself, participate in local environmental groups and advocate for policies that promote cleaner air.
“Be a part of the solution, not a part of the pollution”
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