AIR POLLUTION IN ASIA

Dr. Ashok Kumar, P.Eng.

Professor & Chairman
Department of Civil Engineering
The University of Toledo
COMMON AIR POLLUTANTS
 Early 1990’s, SPM-Comparison Across Cities
(Source: UNESCAP 2000)

Tokyo

Tehran

Shanghai

Seoul

Mumbai

Manila

Kuala Lumpur

Jakarta

Delhi

Calcutta

Beijing

Bangkok

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450

Annual Avg. (ug/m3)
 400
Air Quality Levels 2000-2001
350

300
concentration in µg/m

250

200

150

100

50

SPM Limit = 90 µg/m3 (WHO, 1979)
PM10 Limit = 50 µg/m3 (USEPA, 1997)
SO2 Limit = 50 µg/m3 (WHO, 1999)
SPM SO2 Source: Information collected from national
and local government agencies through
CAI-Asia network, 2003, detailed sources
PM10 NO2 Limit = 40 µg/m3 (WHO, 1999) NO2 available from CAI-Asia Secretariat
FACTORS INFLUENCING POLLUTION
POPULATION GROWTH
POPULATION DISTRIBUTION
INCREASED VEHICULAR TRAFFIC
ECONOMIC GROWTH
ECONOMIC GROWTH
 POLLUTION TRENDS
• China
• India
• Sri Lanka
Trends - China
Trends - India
 Changes in RSPM levels

Delhi Kolkata Mumbai Hyderabad Chennai

(ug/m3) (ug/m3) (ug/m3) (ug/m3) (ug/m3)

1993-95 255 196 142 69 73

Average
2000-02 180 130 83 66 63
Average
Reduction 75 66 59 3 10
(29%) (34%) (42%) (4%) (14%)
Trends – Sri Lanka
Trends – Sri Lanka
 CONTROL MEASURES
• Technology-Based Regulations
– Hybrid Vehicles
– Fuel Cell Vehicles
– Hydrogen-Powered Internal-Combustion
Engines
– Ultra-Low Sulfur Fuels
– Alternative Fuels
• Economic Instruments
– Emission Trading
– Congestion Pricing
• Policy Implementation
TECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTATION
 Effects - India
RSPM (All Areas)
300 1328 industries closed or relocated in 1996-97
Lower S in diesel and other industrial fuel
250
Change in monitoring equipment !

200
ug/m3

150

100
National Standard (Residential)
50

0
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
Pollution

Per Capita Income

 Environmental Effects of Globalization
 A failure to account for environmental and social
degradation
 A potential reduction in environmental and social standards
 Specialization which increases monocultures and decreases
diversity
 Environmental damage caused by long-distance transport
 Export-oriented growth which exacerbates all of the above.
Incompatibility with some environmental protection measures
 Increasing inequality between rich and poor countries, rich
and poor people, and women and men, all of which also
exacerbate poverty and environmental degradation