Black carbon, abbreviated by environmental organizations such as the World Health Organization as BC, refers to a black sooty material emitted from the combustion of fossil fuel in gas and diesel engines, power plants that burn coal, and other sources such as the burning of organic matter. Black carbon is alternatively described as a dark, light-absorbing aerosol component containing two forms of elemental carbon, which constitutes to particulate matter (PM), a significant air pollutant. It is the PM that poses serious environmental problems such as climate change or global warming. Therefore, black carbon is not only an environmental issue but also a health risk or hazard.
The fundamental element that makes black carbon an environmental risk is the particulate matter. Notably, PM is a carbonaceous component that absorbs all wavelengths of solar radiation (Long, Nascarella, and Valberg, 2013). This results in climate changes such as irregular patterns of rainfall and long spells of aridity. Indeed, when the accumulation of the PM in the atmosphere is high, it culminates in a greenhouse effect further resulting in global warming. The impacts of black carbon on the environment are not only related to climate change but also visibility, ecosystems, and agricultural productivity. The particulate matter in black carbon, according to research, absorbs more energy than carbon dioxide, but because carbon dioxide is abundantly produced every day, the levels on an annual basis are higher.
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This makes black carbon the second largest contributor to climate change globally after carbon dioxide. However, unlike the gas, black carbon only stays in the atmosphere for a few days and at most weeks before falling back to earth during precipitation. Nonetheless, due to its high absorbent nature, black carbon warms up the atmosphere considerably faster than the gas, and as such, it results in drastic climate change. Consequently, when it falls back to earth through precipitation, black carbon darkens the snow or ice caps thereby inhibiting their reflecting ability. In addition, it warms the snow and ice caps, thus fast-tracking their melting. According to Pruss-Ustun et al. (2016), there were 3.7 million premature deaths due to outdoor air pollution and 4.3 million deaths resulting from indoor air pollution where black carbon was a major contributor. Inhalation of black carbon is thus associated with other health issues such as respiratory conditions, heart issues, congenital disabilities, and an increased risk of cancer. Of the two elements, the one which makes black carbon a respiratory health risk is the PM2.5 whose miniature size allows for inhalation. According to research conducted by Tobias et al. (2014) to examine the immediate health effects of BC on daily mortality rate and hospital admission attributed to respiratory diseases in Barcelona, BC increased the risk of respiratory mortality by ten percent. Regarding conditions such as asthma, the researchers found that BC increased hospital admission by five percent.
Moreover, research by EPA ascertained that peat burning substantially increased the risk of heart failure and hospital admissions (EPA, 2017). This outcome was attributed to the fact that peat-burning produced a significant amount of carbonaceous substances including black carbon, which has implications for health as discussed above. Long, Nascarella & Valberg (2013) contend that BC particles and emissions are ubiquitous in both rural and urban areas, and as such, individuals are constantly exposed to these emissions regardless of their geographical area. As outlined in the paper, black carbon has serious health and environmental implications. The most pivotal intervention would be to advocate, develop, and enforce rigorous and stringent regulations and policies on carbon emissions, especially in urban areas where the burning of fossil fuels via vehicles and industrial operations is rampant. Moreover, organizations such as EPA and WHO should combine their efforts and recommend subtle alternative or clean energies to the fossil fuels. Also, the Arctic Council should incentivize the use of clean energy and penalize excessive combustion of fossil fuels among the Arctic nations as a proactive measure of slowing regional warming ultimately preventing melting of glaciers, snow, and ice caps within the region.
References
EPA. (2017). Black Carbon Research. USEPA. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/air-research/black-carbon-research
Long, C. M., Nascarella, M. A., & Valberg, P. A. (2013). Carbon black vs. black carbon and other airborne materials containing elemental carbon: physical and chemical distinctions. Environmental pollution , 181 , 271-286. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2013.06.009
Prüss-Üstün, A., Wolf, J. Corvalán, C., Bos, R., & Neira, M. (2016). Preventing disease through healthy environments. A global assessment of the burden of disease from environmental risks : World Health Organization . Retrieved from http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/204585/9789241565196_eng.pdf;jsessionid=AC143C5266AD49FF8B1BF23EC2C389F7?sequence=1
Tobias, A., Karanasiou, A., Reche, C., Amato, F., Alastuey, A., & Querol, X. (2014). Effects of black carbon on respiratory health in the city of Barcelona. European Respiratory Journal , 44 (Suppl 58), 2923. http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/2923
