Black carbon could be described as a technical term for the black soot (its major component), and is a product of incomplete combustion of fuels containing carbon, such as fossil fuels and biomass.
It is emitted from various sources including diesel engine cars and trucks, residential biofuel or coal cooking and heating, forest fires, agricultural open burning and some industrial facilities. Suspended black carbon particles in the atmosphere contribute to global warming by absorbing energy and converting it to heat. When deposited on ice and snow, black carbon causes both atmospheric warming and an increase of melting rate that indirectly changes cloud and rain patterns.
In addition, black carbon has a substantial adverse impact on human health. Recent reports from World Health Organisation (WHO) estimate that one in eight of total global premature deaths results from air pollution exposure. Black Carbon emitted into the atmosphere in the form of ultra-fine particles called PM 2.5 (smaller than 2.5 micrometers) can penetrate deep into people’s lungs and cardiovascular system, causing respiratory infections, strokes, heart diseases and cancer.
Black carbon is a pollutant of great concern, but there are still extensive uncertainties that need much wider attention. To address a research problem of this magnitude and complexity we have to involve a wider community of researchers, scientists and institutions around the globe with an incentive to raise awareness among decision makers in local communities, governments as well as among the top world leaders.
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