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Will open waste burning become India's largest air pollution source?
Gaurav Sharma1, Saurabh Annadate1, Baerbel Sinha1
1Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Sector 81, SAS Nagar, Manauli PO, Punjab, 140306, India.
Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)
|October 9, 2021
Summary
Residential fuel use, especially cow dung, is India's top air pollution source. Without better waste management, open burning will become the largest source by 2035.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Public Health
- Atmospheric Chemistry
Background:
- India faces persistent air quality issues, with frequent exceedances of standards for particulate matter and benzene.
- Significant progress has been made in reducing indoor air pollution through transitioning households from kerosene to Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze shifts in sectoral contributions to air pollution in India using updated emission inventories and fuel consumption data.
- To project future air pollution trends based on current trajectories in residential fuel usage and waste management.
Main Methods:
- Utilized updated emission inventories to assess sectoral contributions to air pollution.
- Analyzed trends in residential fuel consumption, including Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and traditional biofuels like cow dung.
- Examined changes in particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions from various sectors, including residential, energy, manufacturing, and waste burning, between 2010 and 2020.
Main Results:
- Residential fuel use remains the primary source of air pollution in India.
- Households using cow dung for cooking (<10% of total) contribute approximately 50% of residential PM2.5 emissions.
- PM2.5 emissions from open waste burning showed minimal change from 2010 to 2020, unlike reductions in energy and manufacturing sectors.
- Current trends suggest residential biofuel use will likely be phased out by 2035.
Conclusions:
- Open waste burning is projected to become India's leading air pollution source by 2035 if effective waste management policies are not implemented.
- Strong policies promoting recycling, upcycling, and biogas conversion are crucial to mitigate future air pollution from waste.
- Findings offer insights for other nations in the global South facing comparable waste management challenges.
Keywords:
BenzeneCooking fuelEmission inventoryFormaldehydeOpen burningParticulate matter air pollutionResidential sectorMore Related Videos
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