Particle pollution, also known as particulate matter, is a major cause of death in cities like Kanpur, India, known as the world’s most polluted city, the industrial hub's annual PM 2.5 average was 173 microgram per cubic meter (ug/m3) which has about 600 people visiting hospitals which respiratory diseases every month, mostly children and people over 50. [7]
Effects of air pollution
Air pollution has negative effects on the environment as the production of acid rain, eutrophication, ozone depletion, reduction of plant growth, haze, and global climate change.
Rainwater is naturally acidic (pH 5.6) because of the presence of CO2 within the atmosphere. However, the combustion of fossil fuels emits acidic substances into the atmosphere. Both of those air pollutants react with airborne water molecules and reduce rainwater pH, resulting in the formation of acid rain. And acid rains lead to the Acidification of water bodies, Water acidity leads to body deformities, and gill damage and lowers the success rate of reproduction. It also damages plant leaves and needles, reducing the power of plants to photosynthesize, and changes of soil chemistry, which affects plant metabolism and nutrient cycling – making plants (especially trees) nutrient deprived and susceptible to diseases.
Eutrophication occurs when an overabundance of plant nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus) accumulates in freshwater bodies and causes an overgrowth of algae in the water. The algae growth is dangerous for other aquatic organisms, as once the algae die; their decomposition depletes oxygen from the water. The affected water body then can't support other life and turns into a dead zone.
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrofluorocarbons, and halons, used as refrigerants and in aerosol sprays since the 1930s, were later identified as the main ozone-depleting chemicals with harmful effects of ozone depletion are available in many forms that are negatively damaging to all life forms. Exposure of living organisms to ultraviolet radiation increases the incidence of skin cancer, cataracts, impaired immune system, and metabolic disorders.
Affected plants are weak and don't grow well. In line with the scientific research in the Great Smoky Mountains national park, trees exposed to great ozone levels grew only to 60 % of their full potential. Reduced growth is usually accompanied by lower yields and high mortality levels among plants.
Haze is produced when sunlight hits concentrated particles of airborne pollutants, like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, emitted from power plants, and industrial facilities or produced by the smoke from wildfires.
Due to the excessive burning of fossil fuels and extensive changes within the land cover by deforestation in large areas to form space for cities or farms, immense quantities of greenhouse gases like CO2 and methane are released into the air. Greenhouse gases facilitate a rise in global temperatures by trapping the warmth within the atmosphere, and their ever-increasing concentrations have gradually begun to change the planet’s climate. Global climate change is manifested through many negative events, including stronger storms, floods, searing summer heat, droughts, destructive wildfires, increased risk of disease and pest infestations, sea water level rise, and ocean acidification. These events are disturbing for the natural balance of ecosystems and affect living organisms that should promptly adapt to sudden changes and weather extremities. [8]
As air pollution has a negative effect on the environment, it also has negative effects on humans, such as accelerated global warming, human respiratory and heart concerns, wildlife endangerment as well as acid rains.
Global warming refers to the rise in the earth’s temperatures that continues to experience. These higher temperatures cause the melting of the polar ice caps and icebergs, which then elevates sea levels and creates concern for humanity.
Air pollution causes irritation within the eyes, lungs, nose, and throat. It creates respiratory problems and exacerbates existing conditions like emphysema and asthma. When exposed to air pollution, humans become at higher risk for cardiovascular diseases. Air full of toxins can have a number of negative effects on the arteries and has even been a contributor to heart attacks and lung cancer.
Most diseases that humans are prone to, animals are prone to as well. Air pollution creates many of the same issues that humans usually face. Highly polluted areas force inhabitants to go looking for new homes, which may negatively impact the entire ecosystem. Toxic chemicals, also deposit over surfaces of water that may lead to the endangerment of marine life animals. [9]
In 2015, WHO and OECD reviewed the economic cost of great death and disability from air pollution in Europe nearly 1.6 trillion $. air pollution takes its position on the economy in several ways: it costs humans their lives, it reduces people’s ability to work and do their job, it affects many products like food, it damages cultural and historical monuments, it reduces the power of ecosystems to perform functions societies need and it costs money in remediation or restoration.[10]
Air pollution before COVID-19
Air pollution throughout the years before COVID-19 existence made it worse. “If you’re getting COVID, and you have been breathing polluted air, it’s really putting gasoline on a fire,” said Francesca Dominici (Harvard biostatistics professor and the study’s senior author). [11]
So according to Professor Francesca’s words polluted air made human life in massive danger which can’t be handled anymore in addition to COVID -19 the unstoppable virus. That polluted air made the virus attack human lungs dangerously which made humans can’t resist it anymore. Even the ozone layer ruptured by all of this air pollution and caused the ozone hole, chemical reactions involving chlorine and bromine caused ozone in the southern polar region to be destroyed rapidly and severely. This region is known as the “ozone hole”. The area of the ozone hole is determined from a map of the total column of ozone. [12]
And throughout the years before COVID-19 appearance the hole was getting larger every year due to the burning of fossil fuels at factories, smog by vehicles, and emissions of pollutants that destroy the ozone hole more and more.
How could COVID-19 decrease air pollution?
The coronavirus led to an increase in air quality all around the world. Lockdowns have resulted in factories and roads shutting down, thus reducing emissions. To contain the coronavirus pandemic, billions of people have been told to stay at home.
In China, authorities placed almost half a billion people under lockdown, the equivalent of nearly 7% of the world’s population. Many other countries have since taken similar measures, initially in hard-hit Italy and Spain, and more recently in the United States and India. [13]
From the shown figures you can compare air pollution before COVID-19 and after appearing the virus and how it positively affect nature after forcing people to stay at home and let the natural breath, Return of migratory birds, deer returned to forests, oceans became clear, and the air became fresher and clear having no pollutions or smog. Due to these huge transformations to the pollution that it became less polluted the ozone hole became smaller and the air returned to its originality.