Air Quality Measures ...

• 92% of Asia and the Pacific’s population – about 4 billion people – are exposed to levels of air pollution that pose a significant risk to their health.

Air pollution in the Asia Pacific region is not only a major health risk, it also has damaging impacts on the environment and agricultural crop yields. These impacts have significant economic consequences, affecting economic growth as well as welfare.

While existing laws and policies have made progress in reducing air pollution in the region, further action is needed to bring air quality to safe levels.

A new report, Air Pollution in Asia and the Pacific: Science-based Solutions, presents the first-ever scientific assessment of air pollution across 23 countries in the region. Using world-leading scientific models, the report outlines 25 policy actions that could achieve safe air quality levels for 1 billion people by 2030 – with numerous benefits for public health, economic development, and the climate.

• FINDINGS: AIR POLLUTION SOURCES AND IMPACTS

Some of the highest recorded levels of air pollution are in Asia Pacific countries

2.3 billion people in the region are exposed to levels of air pollution several times the WHO guideline for safe air.

The most damaging air pollutants are fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) and Ground-level Ozone

While the sources of these pollutants vary by country, they are linked to only a handful of activities. Urban and heavily industrialized areas with high population densities have the highest levels of air pollution.

In 2015, the majority of global deaths from ambient (outdoor) air pollution - 35% - occurred in East Asia and the Pacific. About 33% occured in South Asia.

In addition to its impacts on human health and well-being, air pollution also threatens agricultural productivity and food security in the region, which is home to approximately 60% of the global total of undernourished people.

• OPPORTUNITIES AND BENEFITS

Existing policies can reduce pollution - but are not enough to reach safe levels

Without existing policies, population-weighted exposure to harmful particulate matter would grow by more than 50% by 2030 based on the projected economic growth of 80% over the same period.

Continued economic growth and urbanization will worsen air pollution unless governments take further action

If current policies aimed at limiting emissions are effectively enforced, air pollution in 2030 will remain at 2015 levels, leaving over 4 billion people exposed to health-damaging levels of air pollution.

AIR QUALITY GUIDELINES

Existing technology and policy solutions can bring clean air to 22% of the Asia Pacific population by 2030

An additional 650,000 people in the region could enjoy clean air by 2030 if a package of 25 Clean Air Measures is implemented starting today.

Ozone (O3)

Guideline values:

O3

100 μg/m3 8-hour mean

The recommended limit in the 2005 Air Quality Guidelines was reduced from the previous level of 120 µg/m3 in previous editions of the "WHO Air Quality Guidelines" based on recent conclusive associations between daily mortality and lower ozone concentrations.

Definition and principal sources:

Ozone at ground level – not to be confused with the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere – is one of the major constituents of photochemical smog. It is formed by the reaction with sunlight (photochemical reaction) of pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) from the vehicle and industry emissions and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by vehicles, solvents, and industry. As a result, the highest levels of ozone pollution occur during periods of sunny weather.

Health effects:

Excessive ozone in the air can have a marked effect on human health. It can cause breathing problems, trigger asthma, reduce lung function and cause lung diseases.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)

Guideline values:

NO2

40 μg/m3 annual mean 200 μg/m3 1-hour mean

The current WHO guideline value of 40 µg/m3 (annual mean) was set to protect the public from the health effects of gaseous.

Definition and principal sources:

As an air pollutant, NO2 has several correlated activities. In short-term, concentrations exceeding 200 μg/m3, it is a toxic gas that causes significant inflammation of the airways.

NO2 is the main source of nitrate aerosols, which form an important fraction of PM2.5 and, in the presence of ultraviolet light, of ozone. The major sources of anthropogenic emissions of NO2 are combustion processes (heating, power generation, and engines in vehicles and ships).

Health effects:

Epidemiological studies have shown that symptoms of bronchitis in asthmatic children increase in association with long-term exposure to NO2. Reduced lung function growth is also linked to NO2 at concentrations currently measured (or observed) in cities of Europe and North America.

Sulfur dioxide (SO2)

Guideline values:

SO2

20 μg/m3 24-hour mean 500 μg/m3 10-minute mean

An SO2 concentration of 500 µg/m3 should not be exceeded over average periods of 10 minutes duration. Studies indicate that a proportion of people with asthma experience changes in pulmonary function and respiratory symptoms after periods of exposure to SO2 as short as 10 minutes. Health effects are now known to be associated with much lower levels of SO2 than previously believed. A greater degree of protection is needed. Although the causality of the effects of low concentrations of SO2 is still uncertain, reducing SO2 concentrations is likely to decrease exposure to co-pollutants.

Definition and principal sources:

SO2 is a colorless gas with a sharp odor. It is produced from the burning of fossil fuels (coal and oil) and the smelting of mineral ores that contain sulfur. The main anthropogenic source of SO2 is the burning of sulfur-containing fossil fuels for domestic heating, power generation, and motor vehicles.

Health effects:

SO2 can affect the respiratory system and the functions of the lungs and cause irritation of the eyes. Inflammation of the respiratory tract causes coughing, mucus secretion, aggravation of asthma, and chronic bronchitis and makes people more prone to infections of the respiratory tract. Hospital admissions for cardiac disease and mortality increase on days with higher SO2 levels. When SO2 combines with water, it forms sulfuric acid; this is the main component of acid rain which is a cause of deforestation.

NOTE:

PM is a common proxy indicator for air pollution. It affects more people than any other pollutant. The major components of PM are sulfate, nitrates, ammonia, sodium chloride, black carbon, mineral dust, and water. It consists of a complex mixture of solid and liquid particles of organic and inorganic substances suspended in the air. While particles with a diameter of 10 microns or less, (≤ PM10) can penetrate and lodge deep inside the lungs, the even more health-damaging particles are those with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less, (≤ PM2.5). PM2.5 can penetrate the lung barrier and enter the blood system. Chronic exposure to particles contributes to the risk of developing cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as lung cancer.

Particulate matter (PM)

Guideline values

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5)

10 μg/m3 annual mean 25 μg/m3 24-hour mean

Coarse particulate matter (PM10)

20 μg/m3 annual mean 50 μg/m3 24-hour me.

AMID COVID 19, AIR POLLUTION REMAINS THE MOST PRESSING ENVIRONMENTAL THREAT...

More than 90 percent of the global population breathes dangerously high levels of air pollution. Due to its ubiquity and severity, air pollution constitutes the world’s biggest environmental health hazard, contributing to as many as 7 million premature deaths globally per year (more than 3 times higher than deaths associated with COVID-19). Air pollution also burdens the global economy with more than $5 trillion in welfare losses.

In 2020, the spread of COVID-19 raised new concerns, as exposure to particle pollution was found to increase vulnerability to the virus and its health impacts. Early reporting suggests that the proportion of COVID-19 deaths attributed to air pollution exposure ranges from 7 to 33 percent.

In a year defined by dramatic measures taken around the world to reduce the spread of COVID-19, IQAir published its 2020 World Air Quality Report to raise awareness around air pollution – a silent killer.

The 2020 World Air Quality report aggregates PM2.5 data from 106 countries, collected from ground-based government monitors and a growing network of validated, non-governmental air quality monitors contributed by organizations and individuals in order to learn from the world’s largest air pollution database.

Country and regional findings

China

86 percent of Chinese cities experienced cleaner air than the year prior, while annual PM2.5 exposure by population fell 11 percent. Despite this progress, China continues to dominate the ranking of the top 100 most polluted cities globally, with 42 cities represented.

Hotan, a desert oasis in Xinjiang province, ranked as the most polluted city globally, with pollution levels 11 times higher than the WHO target for annual pollution exposure (< 10 μg/m3). The city also had the highest monthly PM2.5 averages worldwide from March to June, when the weather typically increases the intensity of sandstorms (with March peaking at an average of 264.4 μg/m3).

Beijing experienced improved air quality for its 8th consecutive year, with air pollution levels falling 11 percent from 2019. Air pollution still remains a dire concern in the Chinese capital, with 58 percent of annual days exceeding daily WHO PM2.5 targets (< 25 μg/m3).

South Korea

No South Korean cities achieved the WHO target for annual PM2.5 exposure (< 10 μg/m3) in 2020. Only 5 (of 60) cities in South Korea met the country’s less stringent standard for annual PM2.5 of < 15 μg/m3.

Despite chronically high pollution levels, South Korea did observe dramatic air quality improvements in 2020, with population-weighted PM2.5 exposure falling 21 percent. These improvements, however, are largely attributed to short-term measures intended to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and limit coal factory emissions during the polluted winter months.

Long-term policy and changes in human behavior are necessary to further reduce South Korea’s PM2.5 levels.

India

India has observed markedly improved air quality in 2020 despite still experiencing dangerously high pollution levels with severe health consequences.

Every city in India observed air quality improvements compared to 2018 and earlier, while 63 percent saw direct improvements against 2019. However, India continues to feature prominently at the top of the most polluted cities ranking with 22 of the top 30 most polluted cities globally.

2020 was a particularly severe year for agricultural burning, an illegal but common practice in which farmers set fire to crop residue after a harvest. Farm fires in Punjab increased 46.5 percent over 2019.

Delhi’s most polluted months correlate with the agricultural burning season, which spans October through December. During these months, average pollution exposure often exceeds the WHO annual target (10 μg/m3) by more than 14 times.

Central and South Asia

South Asia represents the world’s most polluted region, containing 37 of the 40 most polluted cities globally. The most polluted countries in the region have numerous cities that average US AQI measurements of “Unhealthy” (> 55.5 μg/m3) or worse:

• Bangladesh: 80% of cities

• Pakistan: 67% of cities

• India: 32% of cities

Pakistan

There is mounting evidence that the air quality in Pakistan is having a strong impact on our quality of life. While research has shown the impact of poor air quality on morbidity and mortality for more serious conditions, its insidious effects are not discussed enough.

According to the World Air Quality report, Pakistan was the second most polluted country in 2018. At the time of writing this article, Karachi and Lahore were among the 10 cities in the world to have the most polluted air, with Lahore's AQI (Air Quality Index) at 188 and Karachi's at 182.

An AQI of up to 50 is healthy. Beyond that, an AQI 0f 100-150 becomes unhealthy for children, and people with heart and lung disease. An AQI of above 150 is unhealthy for everyone while levels above 300 constitute a health emergency.

Pakistan’s air pollution levels have transformed into a more dire health emergency than smoking, tuberculosis, and unsafe water and sanitation, reducing our life expectancy more than any of the three listed causes.

In this situation, children are especially vulnerable, and air pollution causes 1 in 10 deaths for children under the age of five. Air pollution worsens respiratory problems for children as well as adults, causes childhood cancer, and impacts healthy brain development. For pregnant women, being exposed to air pollution can lead to premature births.

Only 3 cities in the region met annual PM2.5 exposure targets (< 10 μg/m3):

• Dambulla (Sri Lanka)

• Sanandaj (Iran)

• Digana (Sri Lanka)

As with every other global region (aside from North America), Central and South Asia observed air quality improvements in 2020. The 25 most polluted cities in this region (with historical air quality data available) observed either direct improvements from 2019 or overall improvements over the last 4 years.

Southeast Asia

Air pollution remains a severe problem facing the Southeast Asia region: only 10.8 percent of cities here breathe air quality that meets annual PM2.5 exposure targets set by the WHO.

Despite the continual health burden, 70 percent of cities in Southeast Asia observed improved air quality in 2020. Cities that did not observe direct improvements over 2019 were predominantly located in northern Thailand, which suffered from huge smoke emissions resulting from the agricultural burning season.

The capital cities of Jakarta (39.6 μg/m3) and Hanoi (37.9 μg/m3) again ranked higher than notoriously polluted Beijing (37.5 μg/m3) in 2020.

COVID-19 measures resulted in improved air quality in 84 percent of countries

Lockdown measures and changes in human behavior in response to the spread of the novel coronavirus resulted in healthier air overall in 2020. Air quality improvements over 2019 were observed in 84 percent of countries (weighted by city population) and 65 percent of global cities.5

The most significant air quality improvements were observed during the first lockdown period when countries around the world mandated relatively strict social distancing measures in an effort to contain the virus.

Cities with higher average PM2.5 levels and denser populations tended to observe the most significant PM2.5 reductions from COVID-19 lockdown measures. Delhi (-60%), Seoul (-54%), and Wuhan (-44%), for example, all observed substantial drops during their respective lockdown periods as compared to the same time frame in 2019. Los Angeles experienced a PM2.5 reduction of -31% during its lockdown period as well as a record-breaking stretch of air quality that met WHO air quality guidelines (< 10 μg/m3).

Often, these initial improvements were short-lived. By the end of 2020, rebounds in industry and transport resulted in smaller average annual reductions:

• Delhi: -15%

• Seoul: -16%

• Wuhan: -18%

• Los Angeles: +15%

To isolate the effect of coronavirus-motivated changes on air quality, the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) applied a “weather correction” to the report’s dataset. The correction removed the influence of weather from observed PM2.5 levels.

Weather can greatly influence observed PM2.5 levels by affecting how pollution coagulates (gathers and falls to the ground), disperses and transforms as a result of chemical reactions.

While the influence of weather on the dataset varies from city to city, the resulting “de-weathered” figure paints a clearer picture of true changes in PM2.5 levels from 2019 to 2020. This could be the result of social distancing measures for COVID-19, new air pollution policy, or changing trends in human behavior.

• 25 CLEAN AIR MEASURES

Air Pollution in Asia and the Pacific: Science-based Solutions uses the highest quality data available and state-of-the-art modeling to identify the most effective 25 measures to reduce air pollution.

The analysis takes the region’s considerable diversity into account and groups the selected measures into three categories:

• Conventional emission controls focusing on emissions that lead to the formation of fine particulate matter (PM2.5).

• Further (next-stage) air-quality measures for reducing emissions that lead to the formation of PM2.5 and are not yet major components of clean air policies in many parts of the region.

• Measures contributing to development priority goals with benefits for air quality.

These measures cover the following sectors:

1. Industries

• Post-combustion controls: Introduce state-of-the-art end-of-pipe measures to reduce sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate emissions at power stations and in large-scale industry

• Industrial process emissions standards: Introduce advanced emission standards in industries, e.g., iron and steel plants, cement factories, glass production, chemical industry, etc.

• Brick kilns: Improve efficiency and introduce emissions standards

• Energy efficiency standards for industry: Introduce ambitious energy efficiency standards for the industry.

2. Transport

• Electric vehicles: Promote the use of electric vehicles

• Improved public transport: Encourage a shift from private passenger vehicles to public transport

• International shipping: Require low-sulfur fuels and control of particulate emissions

• Emissions standards for road vehicles: Strengthen all emission standards; special focus on the regulation of diesel light- and heavy-duty vehicles

• Vehicle inspection and maintenance: Enforce mandatory checks and repairs for vehicles

• Dust control: Suppress construction and road dust; increase green areas.

3. Agriculture

• Agriculture crop residues: Manage agricultural residues, including strict enforcement of bans on open burning

• Livestock manure management: Introduce covered storage and efficient application of manures; encourage anaerobic digestion

• Nitrogen fertilizer application: Establish efficient application; for urea also use urease inhibitors and/or substitute with, for example, ammonium nitrate

• Rice paddies: Encourage intermittent aeration of continuously flooded paddies.

4. Power Generation

• Renewables for power generation: Use incentives to foster extended use of wind, solar, and hydropower for electricity generation and phase out the least efficient plants.

5. Residential cooking, Heating, and Lighting.

• Clean cooking and heating: Use clean fuels - electricity, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in cities, and LPG and advanced biomass cooking and heating stoves in rural areas; substitution of coal by briquettes

• Energy efficiency for households: Use incentives to improve the energy efficiency of household appliances, buildings, lighting, heating, and cooking; encourage rooftop solar installations.

6. Forest and Peatland fires

• Prevention of forest and peatland fires: Improve forest, land, and water management and fire prevention strategies.

7. Waste

• Residential waste burning: Strictly enforce bans on open burning of household waste

• Solid waste management: Encourage centralized waste collection with source separation and treatment, including gas utilization

• Wastewater treatment: Introduce well-managed two-stage treatment with biogas recovery.

8. Solvents, Oil and Gas

• Oil and gas production: Encourage recovery of associated petroleum gas; stop routine flaring; improve leakage control

• Solvent use and refineries: Introduce low-solvent paints for industrial and do-it-yourself applications; leak detection; incineration and recovery

• Coal mining: Encourage pre-mining recovery of coal mine gas.

9. Cooling Agents

• Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerant replacement: Ensure full compliance with the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol.

• BENEFITS OF ACTION

Implementing the 25 measures in this report would have numerous benefits beyond improved air quality.

CLIMATE Carbon dioxide emissions in 2030 could be reduced by almost 20% and methane by 45%. This would decrease the expected warming by a third of a degree Celsius by 2050 and would be a significant contribution to the Paris Agreement target of keeping global temperature rise this century well below 2ºC. FOOD SECURITY Ozone-induced crop losses could be reduced considerably – by 45% for maize, rice, soy, and wheat combined. The health of natural ecosystems would also improve. Reduced nitrogen and sulfur deposition to ecosystems would have benefits for water and soil quality, as well as biodiversity. HEALTH One billion people could breathe clean air that meets stringent World Health Organization (WHO) standards by 2030. The number of people exposed to pollution above the highest WHO Interim Target could fall by 80% to 430 million. Furthermore, premature mortality from outdoor air pollution could decline by about a third, and an additional 2 million premature deaths a year from indoor air pollution could be avoided. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGs) Improving air quality and mitigating climate change would directly contribute to the realization of:

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

• SDG 13: Climate Action

WATER SECURITY A reduction in particulate emissions would slow the melting of glaciers and snowfields, reduce the risk of disasters related to glacier lake outburst floods, and help mitigate water insecurity for billions of people.

This report identifies the air quality standards of Asia and shows the corresponding preventive measures.