Most Critical Pollutants

The Environmental Protection Agency identified the six most common pollutants. These are Sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, ground-level ozone, lead, and carbon monoxide. The EPA (2019) notes that the existence of these pollutants in ambient air is attributed to the numerous widespread and diverse sources of emissions. Three of these pollutants that should be addressed include carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and ground-level ozone. 

The three gas can be considered critical for various reasons. The main artificial source of carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide gases is fossil fuel combustion. Around the world fossils, fuels make up a majority of the world energy use. In 2017, 81 percent of the energy consumed globally came from coal, natural gas, and oil (Ritchie, & Roser, 2020). These translate to nearly 15 billion metric tons of fossil fuel each year. Carbon emission from fossil fuels accounts for 90 percent of all emissions (Chandler, 2019). This is critical given that carbon dioxide is a proven greenhouse gas and ultimately leads to global warming. Carbon dioxide is also critical in that it accompanies the production of cement. For every kilogram of cement produced, a kilogram of carbon dioxide is released (Chandler, 2019). Given that nations are pushing for infrastructure developments ranging from roads to housing, it is unlikely that the production of cement will slow down. According to Hite and Seitz (2016), car emissions are also a source of carbon dioxide. This means carbon dioxide release will continue.

Ground-level ozone is ozone that exists in the earth’s lower atmosphere. This ozone is created when pollutants released by refineries, industrial boilers, and vehicles, among other sources, react in the presence of sunlight. Emphasis by emerging economies to industrialize and continued purchase of cars growing middle class around the world means that ground-level ozone will continue to build up. Frequent hot summers and heatwaves result in high ozone episodes, which in turn traps heat in the atmosphere (EEA, 2013). This cycle leads to global warming.

The nitrous oxide gas is critical in that it has its main sources in agriculture. Agriculture contributes through livestock manure and fertilizers in agricultural soils. Inefficiencies in nitrogen uptake by animals and plants means that less than 15 percent of reactive nitrogen is consumed by humans (Smith, 2010). The rest disperses into the environment. Recent increase growth in industrial farming practices coupled with intensive livestock keeping means that nitrous oxide emissions will continue.

It thus follows that there is a need to curb these three critical gases. This way, incidences of heat and overall global warming will be tamed.

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References

Chandler, D. (2019, September 18). Researchers Have Created Emissions-free Cement. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/09/cement-production-country-world-third-largest-emitter/

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2019, August 8). Greenhouse Gas Emissions. US EPA. https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions

European Environment Information (EEA). (2013, August 14). Hot Summer Weather Exacerbating Ozone Pollution. European Environment Agency. https://www.eea.europa.eu/highlights/hot-summer-weather-exacerbating-ozone-pollution

Hite, K. A., & Seitz, J. L. (2016). Global Issues: An Introduction. John Wiley & Sons.

Ritchie, H., & Roser, H. (2020). Fossil Fuels. Our World in Data. https://ourworldindata.org/fossil-fuels

Smith, K. A. (2010). Nitrous Oxide and Climate Change. Earthscan.