Black Carbon

Black Carbon Latest News

A new report has identified black carbon as a significant contributor to Himalayan glacier melt. 

About Black Carbon

• Black carbon is a dark sooty material emitted during both natural and anthropogenic activities.
• It results from incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, biofuels and biomass.
• It is a component of PM 2.5.
• It is a short-lived climate pollutant (SLCP) due to its atmospheric lifetime of only a few days to weeks, yet it has a substantial impact on global warming.
• After CO₂ black carbon is the second most significant contributor to global warming. Unlike CO₂, it is a particle, not a greenhouse gas.
• b: Primary sources include coal-fired power plants, cookstoves, diesel engines, and the burning of biomass fuels such as wood, other fossil fuels, forest fires, crop-residue burning, and brick kilns.
• It does not remain confined to its source region.

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Impact of Black Carbon

• Human Health: It has a significant adverse effect on human health and leads to premature mortality.
• Regional atmospheric heating: It remains in the atmosphere for only days to weeks, but during that period it strongly absorbs sunlight and can produce substantial atmospheric heating.
• Responsible for glacial melt: Black carbon particles deposited on snow and ice darken the surface, reduce its albedo, and cause it to absorb more solar radiation. This can accelerate snow and ice melt.
• Environment: It affects climate, agriculture, and ecosystems.
  • It can alter rainfall patterns, regional atmospheric circulation, and cloud formation, accelerate glacier melting, influence freshwater supplies for millions, and contribute to rising sea levels.

Source: IE