Aviation Air Pollution

 

      

    Throughout the past 20 years, air travel has been on the rise despite recent events such as coronavirus, airplane taxi time has also increased causing air pollution to rise. Air pollution created by airports and other aviation-related activities are among the largest source of air pollution in the United States (Picker, 2012). This pollution can cause long term health problems in the surrounding populations by lowering the quality of the air and cause respiratory illnesses. These illnesses can impact not only the lungs, but the heart and the brain as well. Deadly particles as small as a molecule break through your body's defenses and trigger inflammation while entering your blood stream which can lead an increased blood pressure, and ultimately a stroke. 

    In order to prevent these effects and mitigate the environmental impact of aviation, there are several strategies that lead to a more clean environment. Some of these strategies being flying more efficient aircraft, using new technologies to create more fuel efficient flightpaths and prevent idle time, and use newer sustainable alternative fuels (Piris-Cabezas, 2021). With air travel and aviation emissions on the rise, it is necessary to use these strategies in order to sustain or improve the state of the atmosphere. 

References

Picker, L. (2012, May 5). Airports, air pollution, and health. Retrieved March 24, 2021, from                       https://www.nber.org/digest/may12/airports-air-pollution-and-health

Piris-Cabezas, P. (2021, March 04). Reducing aviation's climate impact. Retrieved March 24, 2021,     from https://www.edf.org/climate/aviation