Plastic waste is now well-known to pollute oceans. But new data shows the burning of plastics is adding to air pollution in Delhi NCR. Delhi was more susceptible to thick smog than other polluted cities such as Beijing and, this has been a puzzle for scientists. New research associates this with chloride particles in the air that help water droplets to form. Globally, chloride particles are more prevalent close to coasts, due to sea spray. But the air in Delhi and over inland India holds more than anticipated.
Initially, the sources were thought to be illegal factories around Delhi that recycle electronics and those that use hydrochloric acid to clean and process metals. These are surely part of the problem, but new analyses have exhibited another source.
Researchers examined the other pollutants that grew at the same time as the chloride particles. This chemical fingerprint resembled the burning of household waste carrying plastics and the burning of plastics themselves. These high amounts of chloride are the major reason for Delhi’s smog events.
90% of waste ends up in open landfills or is burning in the open air
In low-income nations, roughly 90% of waste ends up in open landfills or is burned in the open air. If plastic is set on fire, it shows its origins as an oil-based product by producing extensive amounts of black smoke. Using data on the contents of debris from around the world. Researchers from London’s King’s and Imperial Colleges have estimated that the smoke from open waste burning has a global warming impact similar to 2%-10% of the global emissions of carbon dioxide.
Burnt plastics also produce a large number of dioxins and other toxic pollutants that can persist in the food chain. Modern waste incinerators in the UK and Europe go to great lengths to reduce these toxic emissions. However, there are no protections when waste is burning at home or in the open.
The waste burning problems in Indian cities do not end here. As James Allan from the University of Manchester. Who took part in the latest Indian study, explained, the additional chloride could be promoting chemical reactions between different air pollutants. This includes adding to the ground-level ozone across India. Already this is going to lessen yields of some Indian crops by 20% to 30%.
Better waste management needs to be a priority but eliminating plastic pollution also requires a rethink of global plastic generation and use.