New Delhi, October 1: Aircraft flying above North America and Europe are emitting pollutants that are poisoning the air in India and China, and resulting in deaths of thousands of people in these Asian nations, a new study has said, reports rediff.com
The study led by a team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology says airplanes flying at a cruise altitude of around 35,000 feet emit pollutants that contribute to about 8,000 deaths per year globally.
Due to high speed winds that flow east, air pollution caused by planes flying over North America and Europe is adversely impacting air quality in India and China, it said.
Nearly 3500 people - almost half of the global number - die in India and China due to this air pollution. Air travel is heaviest above North America and Europe.
"Even though the amount of fuel burned by aircraft over India and China accounts for only 10 per cent of the estimated total amount of fuel burned by aircraft across the globe, the two countries incur nearly half - about 3,500 - of the annual deaths related to aircraft cruise emissions," the study said.
The research provides the first estimate of premature deaths attributable to aircraft emissions at cruise altitudes.
Aircraft emit nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides, which react with gases already existing in the atmosphere to form harmful fine particulate matter.
Part of the reason for the high percentage of premature deaths in India and China is that these regions are densely populated and also have high concentrations of ammonia in their atmosphere as a result of farming.
This ammonia reacts with oxidised nitrogen and sulphur to create fine particulate matter that people inhale on the ground.
Although agriculture is abundant in Europe and North America, the ammonia levels are not as elevated above those regions as they are in the Asian countries, the study said.
The study led by a team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology says airplanes flying at a cruise altitude of around 35,000 feet emit pollutants that contribute to about 8,000 deaths per year globally.
Due to high speed winds that flow east, air pollution caused by planes flying over North America and Europe is adversely impacting air quality in India and China, it said.
Nearly 3500 people - almost half of the global number - die in India and China due to this air pollution. Air travel is heaviest above North America and Europe.
"Even though the amount of fuel burned by aircraft over India and China accounts for only 10 per cent of the estimated total amount of fuel burned by aircraft across the globe, the two countries incur nearly half - about 3,500 - of the annual deaths related to aircraft cruise emissions," the study said.
The research provides the first estimate of premature deaths attributable to aircraft emissions at cruise altitudes.
Aircraft emit nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides, which react with gases already existing in the atmosphere to form harmful fine particulate matter.
Part of the reason for the high percentage of premature deaths in India and China is that these regions are densely populated and also have high concentrations of ammonia in their atmosphere as a result of farming.
This ammonia reacts with oxidised nitrogen and sulphur to create fine particulate matter that people inhale on the ground.
Although agriculture is abundant in Europe and North America, the ammonia levels are not as elevated above those regions as they are in the Asian countries, the study said.
