Dangers of Concurrent Heat Waves, Air Pollution

The combination of prolonged hot spells with poor air quality greatly compounds the negative effects of each and can pose a major risk to human health, according to new research.

Dangers of Concurrent Heat Waves, Air Pollution. Image credit: tasnimnews.com (CC BY 4.0)

"The weather factors that drive heat waves also contribute to intensified surface ozone and air pollution episodes," said UCI (the University of California, Irvine) professor of Earth system science Michael J. Prather, co-author of the study.

Heat waves cause widespread discomfort and can be deadly for vulnerable individuals, while surface ozone and air pollution are linked to premature death from heart disease, stroke and lung ailments.

The researchers overlaid a grid of one-degree-square segments onto a map of the region and analyzed the recorded levels of surface ozone, amounts of fine particulate matter (pollution) and maximum temperatures between April and September for each roughly 69-by-69-mile section of the map.

This allowed them to construct a climatological picture of the duration, coincidence and overlap of each of these factors.

Meteorologically, slow-moving high-pressure systems accumulate pollutants and heat during the summer months.

Scorching temperatures, low precipitation, strong sunlight and low wind speeds allow heat and poor-quality air to stagnate in a given location for an extended period of time.

These conditions increase the emission of biogenic volatile organic compounds, which boost the production of surface ozone and other aerosols.

The droughtlike conditions that exist in heat waves reduce soil moisture, making near-surface temperatures hotter and inhibiting the role played by vegetation in absorbing ozone, resulting in lower air quality.

Humans only make the problem worse by consuming more fossil fuel-generated energy to run air conditioners. (Tasnim News Agency)

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

New class of materials could be used to make batteries that charge faster

Researchers have identified a group of materials that could be used to make even higher power batteries.

Lymphatic Vessels Discovered in Central Nervous System

Researchers of the University of Virginia School of Medicine recently discovered a series of channels that surround blood vessels within the brains of mice. This system, managed by the brain’s glial cells, was termed the glymphatic system. It moves cerebrospinal fluid, a clear liquid surrounding the brain and spinal cord, quickly and deeply thoughout the brain, removing waste.

Common Houseplant with Genetic Modification Can Remove Polluted Air

Scientists have genetically modified a common houseplant called pothos ivy or devil’s ivy that can remove chloroform and benzene from the air around it.

Mosquitos rendered infertile by biological engineering

Scientists say they have almost eradicated populations of the world’s most invasive mosquito species from two test sites in China using a novel two-pronged approach which renders the insects infertile.

Revealing the human proteome

Researchers completed a draft map of the human proteome—the set of all proteins in the human body. The accomplishment will help advance a broad range of research into human health and disease.

Researchers identify key brain circuits for reward-seeking and avoidance behavior

Researchers have identified connections between neurons in brain systems associated with reward, stress, and emotion. Conducted in mice, the new study may help untangle multiple psychiatric conditions, including alcohol use disorder, anxiety disorders, insomnia, and depression in humans.