What is Black Carbon?

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About Black Carbon:

It is commonly known as soot, is a component of fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5).
It is formed by the incomplete combustion of wood and fossil fuels, a process which also creates carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds.
Most black carbon emissions in India arise from burning biomass, such as cow dung or straw, in traditional cookstoves.
It has a warming impact on climate that is 460-1,500 times stronger than CO2.
Impacts on Environment and human Health
- It warms the atmosphere because it is very effective at absorbing light.
- It exacerbates warming of the air and surfaces in regions where it is concentrated, altering weather patterns and ecosystem cycles.
- It lasts only days to weeks in the atmosphere but has significant direct and indirect impacts on the climate, snow and ice, agriculture, and human health.
- It also influences cloud formation and impacts regional circulation and rainfall patterns.
- When deposited on ice and snow, black carbon and co-emitted particles reduce surface albedo (the ability to reflect sunlight) and heat the surface.
- It contributes to global warming and poses severe risks. Studies have found a direct link between exposure to black carbon and a higher risk of heart disease, birth complications, and premature death.

Q1: What is Carbon dioxide?

It is a clear gas composed of one atom of carbon (C) and two atoms of oxygen (O). Carbon dioxide is one of many molecules where carbon is commonly found on the Earth. It does not burn, and in standard temperature and pressure conditions it is stable, inert, and non-toxic.

Source: India’s potent black carbon emissions from kerosene lamps make up 10% of total residential emissions: Study