Author: Siah Wee Hun

Welcome to my final blog entry of this semester! Much has been discussed throughout the past 11 weeks, and I thought that it would be good to wrap things up with a review of my blogging journey thus far in today’s entry.

After kick-starting the blog with a brief introduction to modern day air pollution, we immediately explored the various reasons for air pollution, which are notably segregated into natural and anthropogenic causes. Among a wide spectrum of causes, the combustion of fossil fuels unfortunately continues to be of greatest detriment to global air quality (Academy of Science South Africa et al., 2019). According to Perera (2017), the sheer reliance on fossil fuels as energy sources renders even the most developed countries and richest of communities vulnerable to the implications of fossil fuel combustion. Until affordable, efficient, and sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels are developed, the emission of toxic air pollutants to fuel our world’s needs will likely remain a harsh reality.

Continue reading Closing remarks and thoughts

Green infrastructure and electrostatic precipitators may provide a sturdy line of defence against air pollution, but, as the previous two entries have demonstrated, they are by no means perfect solutions. This got me thinking – if it’s impossible to clean up air pollution entirely, why don’t we start at the root of the problem and reduce the need for cleaning? Afterall, prevention is better than cure!

According to Baghestani et al. (2021), cordon pricing (congestion charge) is a form of traffic control that serves to ameliorate both traffic congestion and environmental pollution. Cordon pricing works through imposing a toll on vehicles that cross the cordon boundary during the specified time range. Thus, the theoretical rationale behind cordon pricing is to deter or reduce private commute, thereby limiting the vehicular emission of air pollutants. 

Continue reading The price to (NOT) pay for cleaner air

In my previous entry, I discussed how green infrastructure could be employed to improve outdoor air quality. However, indoor air quality is another pertinent issue that should not be overlooked. While most people might associate good indoor air quality with the use of air purifiers, I want to introduce another form of technology less commonly heard of – the electrostatic precipitator (ESP).

According to Afshari et al. (2020), ESPs are famed for their ability to efficiently filter out air pollutants while causing pressure drops that are lower in magnitude as compared to high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration systems. The authors explain the mechanism underlying ESPs to be the “[using] the forces of an electric field on charged particles to separate gas particles from a gas stream”. Through this process, charged particles stick to an “oppositely charged electrode” serving as a collection surface, allowing clean air to flow out of the ESP.

Continue reading The electrostatic precipitator: A double-edged sword

As the semester finally begins drawing close to an end, I wish to redirect this blog towards a more positive aspect of air pollution for my final few entries. After learning so much about the various harmful consequences of air pollution, wouldn’t it be nice and perhaps reassuring to also know what kinds of innovative actions have been taken towards redressing it or mitigating its impacts on us?

Kumar et al. (2019) highlights green infrastructure (GI) as an efficient solution to air pollution that will work in tandem with the rapid global urbanisation that will soon render the world devoid of greenery. However, they also remind us that GI are not entirely foolproof; the complex interactions between air pollution and spatially heterogeneous urban landscapes warrant careful planning to ensure that GI does not end up doing more harm than good.

Continue reading Greener infrastructure, cleaner air

Crime level is often thought to be influenced by a wide range of factors that include, but are not limited to general education levels, cultural settings, and existing legislations or laws. Air pollution is probably at the back of our minds when imagining what could possibly influence crime. However, just because it is not widely discussed does not mean it is trivial as compared to other stimulants of crime. 

Aside from adversely affecting mental health to manifest in “unethical behaviour” such as committing crimes, it appears that air pollution can stimulate aggressive behaviour that drives violent crime (Kuo and Putra, 2021).

Continue reading Crime is in the air! Breathe no evil, do no evil?

The global endeavour of reducing reliance on non-renewable fossil fuels as our main energy source has motivated the research and development of various renewable energy sources. Solar (or solar photovoltaic (PV)) power is one such alternative that has seen rapidly growing popularity worldwide (see Figure 1). However, it has also been discovered that air pollution can and will impede the efficiency of systems designed to harvest solar energy, signalling a clear need to redress air pollution to achieve our overarching objective of sustainable energy use.

Figure 1. Global solar PV capacity by year (Song et al., 2021)

Continue reading Let the sunlight through!

In my previous entry, we explored how female exposure to air pollution might create undue stress during pregnancy and lead to birth complications. But the growing number of fertility woes worldwide suggest that pregnancy itself cannot be taken for granted. How might fertility be impacted by men’s exposure to air pollution?

According to Kumar and Singh (2022), nearly half of global infertility cases are primarily caused by “male-factors”. Air pollution is one of various environmental factors that reduces semen quality, which is a “major predictor” of male fertility. Moreover, air pollutants may directly cause male infertility through hormonal disruption, oxidative stress, and sperm DNA alteration.

Continue reading Protecting the seeds of our future

A week ago on 8 March, the world commemorated International Women’s Day to recognise the participation of women and acknowledge their achievements. I find this to be a good opportunity to raise awareness about how the sacred experiences of pregnancy and childbirth might be negatively influenced by air pollution, in hopes that more can be done to cultivate a safer environment for pregnant women.

Lamichhane et al. (2021) highlight a positive association between air pollution and the stress levels of pregnant women. In particular, they find that exposure to PM2.5, PM10, and ozone induce higher levels of perceived stress among pregnant women. Interestingly, the effects of air pollution appear to vary based on seasonality, with spring seeing the greatest levels of stress, perhaps due to the fact that Seoul (study area) is most polluted during spring. 

Continue reading Air pollution and pregnancy

“Mask up!” – a familiar phrase that most of the world has grown accustomed to as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded in the past 3 years. In Singapore, mask-wearing regulations were recently loosened, leaving healthcare institutes as the only places with necessitated mask-wearing. After reading this blog entry, however, you might very well choose to continue wearing your mask even if it is no longer required to do so in your country.

According to Weaver et al. (2022), air pollution exposure undermines one’s immunity system and increases the likelihood of respiratory viral infections (such as COVID-19) in 2 ways: heightened risk of comorbidities and weakened immune functions that raises susceptibility. More specifically, inhaled particulate matter stimulates the upregulation of proteins that allow the SARS-CoV-2 virus to enter host cells, translating to higher viral loads and stronger symptoms of COVID-19. Particulate matter, NO2, and ozone undermine the body’s “first line of defence against invading pathogens”, causing inflammation. Hence, individuals with a history of long-term exposure to such air pollutants are more prone to more severe COVID-19 infections

Continue reading Air pollution and COVID-19

All of us have had nights where we simply can’t fall asleep no matter how hard we try, or mornings where we woke up feeling like we barely slept a wink. Was it the late night coffee, the noisy neighbours, or the air conditioning temperature that we just never seem to get right? Aside from these reasons that often come to mind, air pollution could very well be the culprit of poor sleep quality. On average, over 34% of adults sleep less than 7 hours a night (Yu et al., 2019). How might air pollution be responsible? Let’s find out.

Air pollutants cause reductions in sleep duration and sleep quality (proportion of time spent asleep in bed as compared to being awake) by irritating key organs of the human respiratory system. In addition, pollutants in the bloodstream negatively affect brain activity and breathing regulation (Davis, 2017).

Continue reading Sleeping poorly? Maybe because you are breathing poorly