Consequences of Air Pollution

Shenzhen and other areas in China, both urban and rural, are facing environmental and human health issues due to increased air pollution.  Industrialization and the establishment of special economic zones can be to blame because of increased levels of air pollution.

  • The establishment of Shenzhen as an SEZ has:
    • increased the coal consumption
    • increased automobile use in the area  

Both of these processes release sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere (Harris & Udagawa, 2014, p. 619).  Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions mix with the water in the atmosphere and become sulfuric acid and nitric acid (Likens, Butler & Rury, 2012).  This process creates acid rain.

acid_rain_woods1
The effects of acid rain (Lovecz, 2006)


Detrimental effects of acid rain via precipitation:

  • acidifying of water sources (increased acidity of drinking water and fish)
  • soil acidification (increased acidity of crops)
  • increased accumulation of methyl mercury in fish (Likens, Butler & Rury, 2012).

 

  • Air pollution is also detrimental to human health just through inhalation.  Researchers that have performed case studies in Shenzhen have found that:
    •  PM2.5*  has been measured above the National Ambient Air Quality Class 2 standard in Shenzhen (Zhang et al., 2016)
    • PM2.5* is related to increased mortality rates among male and elderly populations (Zhang et al., 2016)
15489395937_f27a2e30e7_z
Protective measures taken against air pollution in China (Lazzati, 2014)
  • premature deaths could be prevented if atmospheric concentrations of PM2.5* and PM10* are kept below World Health Organization (WHO) standards (Xie et al. (2011))
  • High levels of nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, PM10* and ozone are linked to increased risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, especially during hot weather (Dai et al., 2015, p.56)

These studies can hopefully influence policy makers to implement laws and regulations that will reduce harmful emissions.

*PM or particulate matter is “a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air.  Some particles, such as dust, dirt, soot, or smoke, are large enough to see with the naked eye” (Particulate Matter (PM) Basics, 2016)

PM10 are inhalable particles with diameters that are less than or equal to 10 micrometers.           PM2.5 are inhalable particles with diameters that are less than or equal to 2.5 micrometers.

Citations

Dai, X., He, X., Zhuo, Z., Chen, J., Wei, S., Chen, R., . . . Guo, H. (2015, May 8). Short-term effects of air pollution on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Shenzhen, China. International Journal of Cardiology, 192, 56-60. Retrieved December 4, 2016, from http://www.internationaljournalofcardiology .com/article/S0167-5273(15)01035-9/abstract
Lazzati, N. (Photographer). (2014). Air Pollution in China [digital image]. Retrieved December 4, 2016 https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3955/15489395937_f27a2e30e7_z.jpg
Lovecz (Photographer). (2006). Effects of acid rain, woods, Jizera Mountains, Czech Republic [digital image]. Retrieved December 4, 2016 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commo ns/0/0c/ Acid_rain_woods1.JPG
Particulate Matter (PM) Basics. (2016, September 12). Retrieved December 4, 2016, from https://www.epa.gov/pm-pollution/particulate-matter-pm-basics#PM

Xie, P., Liu, X., Liu, Z., Li, T., Zhong, L., & Xiang, Y. (2010). Human health impact of exposure to airborne particulate matter in Pearl River Delta, China. Water, Air & Soil Pollution, 215(349-363).

Zhang, F., Liu, X., Zhou., Yu, Y., Wang, L., Lu, J., …Kraft, T. (2016). Spatiotemporal patterns of particulate matter (PM) and associations between PM and mortality in Shenzhen, China. BMC Public Health, 16(214).