Social challenge/ impact linked to:

Level of importance

Delete as appropriate:

1 - High Importance / must have

2 - Medium Importance / good to have

3 - Low importance / Not needed

Description

Atmospheric  aerosol  loading  is  included  in  the  SRC’s  planetary  boundaries  due  to  its  impact  on the  Earth’s  climate  and  on  human  health.  It  occurs  when  particulate  pollutants  are  given  off  into the  atmosphere  through  both  naturally  occurring  processes  and  through  human  activity  such  as the  burning  of  coal,  forests  and  crops,  or  the  diesel  fumes  emitted  and  dust  thrown  up  by vehicles.  The  SRC  points  out  that  particulate  pollution  can  already  be  seen  to  have  affected  local climates  and  weather  systems  in  highly  polluted  areas.  It  also  highlights  the  fact  that  inhalation  of polluted  air  causes  the  premature  deaths  of  around  800,000  people  per  year  globally.

The  impact  of  aerosol  loading  on  weather  systems  is  significant.  However,  a  method  for understanding  or  measuring  its  impacts  has,  as  yet,  proved  elusive.  The  SRC/SEI  report  points  out that,  ‘Complexity  in  terms  of  the  variety  of  particles,  sources,  impacts,  and  spatial  and  temporal distribution  make  it  currently  impossible  to  discuss  a  critical  boundary  for  the  Earth  as  a  whole.’

The  absence  of  a  planetary  boundary,  therefore,  has  led  us  to  explore  an  alternative  indicator  of national  relevance.

Scale as linked to D2.2 framework

Delete as appropriate:

• National
• City
• Neighborhood 
• Street
• Household
• Object

Data source and input type

• Air quality data 

Connection with SDGs

• Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities
• Goal 13: Climate action

Required Data

•   PM10  levels 

Expected Outputs

• per cent higher/lower than boundary 

Calculation methods

• setting the boundary: The  WHO-recommended  upper  limit  for  PM10s  is  an  annual  mean  of  20  µgm
• calculation according to that boundary: Annual  national  mean  PM10  levels  at  roadside  testing  sites  are  5  percent  higher  than WHO recommendations  (UK  2013).

Level of expertise required

• High

Links and references

•   Friends  of the Earth Scotland ‘Scotland’s  Most Polluted Streets  in 2013’   http://www.foe-scotland.org.uk/node/1740
• Scottish Air  Quality  Data  http://www.scottishairquality.co.uk/data/trends#pm10