Concluding Post on Air Pollution

Having posted largely on air pollution over the past three months, I gained much insight on the true severity of air pollution around the world and evaluated the effectiveness of various air pollution control solutions. Air pollution occurs in varying scale ranging from city to regional air pollution. Air pollution in cities largely originate from the vehicular exhaust sources while regional air pollution includes transboundary haze pollution, commonly experienced in Southeast Asia, from the illegal "slash and burn" techniques to clear land for cash crop plantations.

My greatest takeaway would be that air pollution poses a huge risk to many countries in the world but there is also an inequitable global distributions of the impacts of the air pollution. 

This is further exacerbated by the disparity in the level of development as the poorer and developing countries are usually more vulnerable to air pollution. This is because of the lack of effective legislation system and political will in tackling air pollution sources. In most cases, the environment is sacrificed to attain higher economic growth by having weak regulations to attract polluting industrial activities. Perhaps they can only afford to put emphasis on the sustainability of their environment into their development plans when they are able to meet basic standard of living such as having proper education system, sanitation and other public utilities infrastructure. 

We have also seen the importance of having tough enforcements to ensure effective air pollution control in the case of China. The lack of enforcement by its regional governments have tainted the Central government's resolve in eliminating air pollution. Regional collaboration between countries is also critical to tackle regional air pollution such as the Southeast Transboundary Haze  in Indonesia through the ratification of effective treaty.

Nevertheless, at the individual level, we can protect ourselves against air pollution through gaining more awareness of air pollution and the risks we are exposed to. In addition, we can help make a difference by opting for greener mode of transport such as taking public transportation, and minimising the amount of our waste through reducing, reusing and recycling so that lesser waste will be sent to our incineration plants (cut down the liberation of dioxins and air pollutants associated with incineration of waste). We also learn that we can choose products with eco-labels in the case of encouraging sustainable growth of palm oil to discourage those irresponsible palm oil manufacturers from exploiting the "slash and burn" techniques that has resulted in catastrophic haze episodes. 

I have also introduced some promising technologies that may greatly help in the combat against air pollution, such as electric cars and the feasibility of safer nuclear power technology. 

Signing off (in preparations for my final exams)

It has been an enjoyable experience in maintaining an environmental blog to discuss on air pollution. Stay tuned in the future as I would post on other  interesting environmental issues or knowledge after my final examinations. I also really appreciate the support from the amount of viewers from all over the world, especially the viewers from the United States and even from Ukraine. Lastly, I hope that my blog has been informative yet interesting and my viewers have learnt as much as I do over the past few months. 

Potential of Nanoparticles as Emerging Air Pollutants? 

Are Nanoparticles a Real Cause of Concern to our Health?
Source: BSIP/UIG/Gettyimages

In one of my earlier blogposts, I shared about the detrimental health consequences associated with particulate matter (PM2.5) such as their scientifically proven abilities to cause serious lung and heart diseases with prolonged exposure. Today I will be discussing on some of the lesser known nanoparticles engineered from nanotechnology and the existing knowledge gap in ascertaining whether will they pose a risk of concern to our health.

Nanoparticles have long been engineered for a wide range of applications. In fact, we are already exposed to them on a regular basis as they are highly used in the manufacturing of daily products. For instance, nanoparticles such as titanium dioxide can be found in many products ranging from paints to cosmetics while silver nanoparticles can even be found in deodorants. 

Unlike the larger PM2.5 air pollutant which is already proven to pose great health risk in terms of lung and heart diseases, scientists are still unable to conclude on the health effects of these nanoparticles. However, there is an increasing concern of the potential of these nanoparticles in causing grievous harm to our bodies. For instance, there is a recent report has shown that silver nanoparticles have the ability to create free radicals that are highly associated to many forms of cancer. However, the experiments are only conducted using human cells in laboratory settings and thus the scientists are unable to directly apply the results with great confidence. 

Similarly another group of scientists has also experimented different type of nano materials such as carbon nanotubes and ultrafine carbon particles on human respiratory cells and mice. The results were alarming as both the human cells and mice showed that nanoparticles can result in the autoimmune diseases in which the immune system will start to attack and destroy healthy tissues and even organs.

Although the current human epidemiology studies still have a high uncertainty on the exact health risk that nanoparticles can pose to us, it will be reckless to conclude that all engineered nanoparticles are safe. Instead, these reports show the need to intensify our research into these nanoparticles as there may be a chance that some of these nanoparticles would actually pose serious health concerns. Thus, the fight against air pollution has to keep up with the ever-improving technology.

How Reducing, Reusing and Recycling can help to reduce air pollution; A Look in Closed Production System

Having a strong legislation system is definitely fundamental in controlling air pollution through effective monitoring and enforcement of the regulations on industrial activities. However, a multi-pronged approach is still much needed to truly tackle the tricky air pollution issue in a holistic manner. Today, we will look into how industries can develop closed production system to help reduce, reuse and recycle industrial wastes so that lesser industrial wastes will be produced. A reduction in industrial wastes will translate into lesser amount of waste being incinerated and a reduction in the amount toxic air pollutants byproducts produced from the incineration plants.

Singapore is a land-scarce country so we incinerate our waste into ash to help reduce the volume of the waste down to as low as 10% of their original volume. The ash will then be transported to our offshore landfill island, Pulau Semakau, which was a land reclamation project between two original smaller islands. It is well known to be a world leading innovative waste management method as it is  also fast becoming a habitat in supporting a diverse biodiversity.  

Pulau Semakau, The World's First Offshore Landfill
Source: Roslan Rahman/ AFP/ Getty Images

As perfect as it may seem, incineration is far from being the perfect solution as it produces extremely carcinogenic air pollutants also known as the furans and dioxins, along with other better known air pollutants such as nitrous oxides and sulfur dioxide. In addition, it is highly expensive to build and maintain the incineration plants especially the pollutants trapping system to ensure that these harmful air pollutants are not released into our air.

Therefore, the more sustainable way forward is to minimise the waste sent for incineration. Now we will explore on a relatively novel framework - closed-loop production system, that industries can adopt to help reduce their industrial waste. A comprehensive paper that evaluate and emphasis on the value of this innovative framework by H. Winkler is available here.

In his paper, he stresses that the current unsustainable production chain between various industries generates high amounts of industrial waste. Hence, he introduced the concept of sustainable supply chain networks (SSCNs), which different manufacturing industries will collaborate to collect, exchange and eliminate waste. For instance, waste from an industry can serve as a valuable material for production process in another industry, thus reducing the total amount of waste generated if these industries are to operate individually. For instance, carbon dioxide gas generated from cement producing plants can be harnessed for biofuel companies to manufacture their algae-based fuels.

Moreover, he also recommends the manufacturing companies to invest in new technologies such as the ease of disassembly of their products when discarded to increase the recycling potential of the products. This will in turn help to reduce the waste generated when the products reach the end of their shelf life.

This exciting closed-loop production system definitely opens new possibilities and possesses the potential to help to minimise waste sent for incineration, thus reducing the generation of hazardous air pollutants such as dioxins. Lesser waste generated can also help to fight against other pollution such as water pollution and etc. 

Singapore's Legislation on Air Pollution Control

Singapore well known for its clean and green environment
Source: Carlina Teteris/ Gettyimages

Today's Singapore is bless with good air quality conditions despite the staggering amount of vehicles on the roads, high national power consumption and even boasting one of the world's largest petrochemical industry and oil refinery, and this did not happen by chance. The good air quality is established and maintained by a set of tough and effective legislation system that has undergone continual revision over the past decades.

Prior to the Clean Air Act introduced in 1971, air pollution control is governed by a provision known as the Local Government Integration Ordinance that was lacking in clear emission standards and thus resulting in ineffective enforcement by the authorities on the polluting industries. 

The launch of Clean Air Act was thus followed by the establishment of the Clean Air (Standards) Regulations in the following year, 1972. Through the regulations,   exact emission limits were imposed on various air pollutants to enable effective enforcement of the Clean Air Act. 

With a better understanding of the intertwined nature of pollution such as eutrophication that was mentioned in one of my previous post on how air pollution can lead into water pollution, Singapore government saw the need to integrate the various pollution control acts. As a result, the 1999 Environmental Pollution Control Act (EPCA) was established to serve as a more comprehensive legislative framework to control pollution ranging from air pollution, water pollution to noise pollution. The EPCA integrates the previous pollution control acts and seeks to maintain a general healthy and safe environment that is free of pollution in Singapore. 

Through the EPCA, emissions of air pollutants from mobile and stationary sources of pollution are regulated and limited. For instance, Euro V and IV vehicular emission standards are imposed on new diesel and petrol vehicles in 2014 which will contribute in the significant reduction of PM2.5 concentration in our atmosphere, with the constant commitments in reducing sulfur content in diesel fuels to reduce SO2 emissions. In addition, the EPCA even made it illegal for car owners with poor maintained cars that emit smoky exhausts. The EPCA also contains regulations to ensure that industries monitor their emissions frequently. Tax incentives are further granted to subsidise the purchase of more efficient equipment that will have reduced emissions in air pollutants.

Singapore's clean air today is attributed to successful legislation, dating back to the 1970s that safeguarded Singaporeans' health while Singapore rapidly developed from third to first world country. Air pollution control still remains a challenge into the future especially from the ever-growing vehicle demand and the transboundary haze episode. Innovative solutions such as electric cars and efficient public transportation system as well as regional collaboration with our neighbouring countries will be required to ensure that the air in Singapore continues to be clean and healthy for our wellbeing. 

Kudos to The Man Who Valued the Importance of Clean Air in Singapore 

This has been a sombre week for all Singaporeans as it marks the passing of one of our greatest leaders in Singapore, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. He had been a visionary leader whom I dearly respect, as without his guidance, Singapore will never be able to achieve the present level of development. With his team of dedicated ministers, Mr Lee solved many major problems ranging from housing to environmental issues. 

Mr Lee Kuan Yew was instrumental in the establishment of the early anti-pollution legislation act in Singapore. In 1970, Singapore was in the midst of rapid industrialisation and such was his belief in the importance of a clean and safe environment in Singapore, he placed the Anti-Pollution Unit (APU) in his Prime Minister Office and gave strong political backing in the anti-pollution initiative. 

From the book 'The Singapore Water Story: Sustainable Development in an Urban City State', it is mentioned that it was due to the swift implementation of effective anti-pollution law, Singapore was able to avert environmental degradation that most developing countries are experiencing from having lax environmental legislations in a bid to attract industrial investments. This can be largely accredited to Mr Lee's emphasis in creating a clean and healthy   environment which help to enact The Clean Air Act in 1971 shortly after the establishment of the APU. The Clean Air Act was an important piece of legislation that empowered Singapore authorities to take effective measures against polluting industries. It was Mr Lee's foresight that allowed Singapore to excel in the balancing of economic growth with its associated environmental consequences.

I hereby sincerely thank Mr Lee Kuan Yew for his momentous contributions in building Singapore from a third world country into such a liveable and green city that many Singaporean generations will cherish and enjoy. His lifelong dedication in serving the nation will definitely help to inspire more future leaders and every Singaporean will never forget this great man. Stay tuned as I will discuss more about Singapore's Clean Air Act in the next post.

Air Pollution is Fast Becoming a Global Issue

Air pollution has been hitting the global headline news over the past week, highlighting the vulnerability of cities in the face of haze and smog. Thailand has been enveloped in its annual haze episode since early March due to the increased 'slash and burn' farming techniques in the current dry season. Singapore's air quality also fell to  the moderate range over the past 3 days with suspected fire spots in the region.

Further away from Asia, Paris encountered a severe air pollution spike last Wednesday. It was largely attributed to the exhaust fumes from transportation especially from the polluting diesel cars. As such, drastic measures have been called upon and only cars with odd-numbered plates would be allowed to drive on Monday. The public transport will also be made free to encourage city dwellers to utilise the public transportation system and reduce the need for private transportation.

Paris Shrouded in Smog
Source: Marcaux/ Gettyimages 

However, this air pollution episode was made worse due to the meteorological conditions. The current warmer March period creates a dry and stable condition that has filled the air with more air pollutants. This goes to show the complexity in the understanding and controlling air pollution as there are many other interacting factors between the air pollutants and the atmospheric system. 

In addition, the atmosphere can also interact with the hydrosphere such that air pollutants can enter waterbodies and cause water pollution. For instance, eutrophication can be a result from transboundary air pollution in which external nutrient sources are deposited through precipitation processes. 

Eutrophication is a condition in waterbodies with excess nutrients that can result in harmful algae blooms to degrade water quality and kill marine life. Air pollutants such as nitrous oxides are liberated into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels, following which these active forms of nitrogen would be deposited along with precipitation into waterbodies and cause eutrophication.     

In view of the transboundary nature and complexity in the transport of air pollutants, it is crucial for international cooperation between different states to come out with comprehensive air pollution measures.   

The Future of Electric Cars

Can electric cars be the solution to exhaust fume pollution?
Source: Michael H/ Gettyimages

From the previous post, we learnt about the growing importance in environmental consumerism. Consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious in making informed decisions to purchase more eco-friendly products. Today we will look into the prospects of electric cars which can potentially help resolve a major air pollutant source that most cities are facing - vehicular emissions.

Having written a post on how adopting cycling as an alternative mode of transportation can help to reduce the reliance on private vehicles, it is also important not to neglect the fact that the demand for cars will be difficult to    stop in the near future. This is due to the rising growth in middle-income groups, especially when cars are associated with the status of wealth and higher standard of living.  

In the recent years, the electric car technology has improved by leaps and bounds and it is heartening to know that many cities are attracted to tap into it. Electric cars are powered by rechargeable batteries and they do not emit harmful exhausts, thus having the potential to achieve great reductions in major air pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide. In addition, electric cars are also much more efficient than current conventional cars that run on petroleum fuels. For instance, electricity can be even recovered from braking of vehicles which can then be utilised again to power the electric cars. Electric cars are estimated to be up to three times more efficient than conventional cars.  

However, there are concerns that electric cars could result in more air pollution if their electricity source is derived from conventional coal burning. This will just translate into the meaningless transfer of air pollutants from vehicular exhaust to the flue gas liberated from coal-fired power plants. Hence, it is crucial to develop clean energy sources to generate electricity for these electric cars, before they can be truly considered as the solution that can help tackle air pollution. 

Other current barriers to the commercialisation of electric cars include the high cost of producing their batteries. The upfront cost of electric car is still significantly higher than most conventional cars, discouraging consumers from purchasing them. However, there are much optimism in the future that the cost of electric cars would be able to compete in the market. For instance, Tesla Motors, a giant electric car manufacturer, has already plans to upscale its production of batteries that will greatly help to reduce the cost of battery production through sheer economy of scale. 

Nevertheless, many cities are already exploring or have even started to tap on the potential of electric cars. For instance, Singapore has launched several extensive trials on electric cars with further plans to devise effective blueprint that can make electric cars a reality in the city. Elsewhere in Shenzhen, China, the city has been awarded with the C40 City Climate Leadership Awards for its green public transportation infrastructure that runs on renewable energy, boasting over 800 electric buses and 850 taxis. Electric cars definitely show much promise to help alleviate air pollution in cities in time to come.