Smog in Lahore: A Breathtaking Issue

Lahore with its 13 million citizens is the most polluted city in the world.  Being completely under the control of smog, air of Lahore contains 44 times higher concentration of fine particulate than the recommended value by World Health Organization.

Smog is a combination of smoke and fog. The word smog was coined at the beginning of the twentieth century to describe the thick gray haze that covered cities like London, Glasgow, and Edinburgh. Investigations revealed that this industrial smog is the result of mixing of smoke from factories and moisture in air. It turned yellowish in color with a certain chemical order. Later on, chemists identified two leading causative agents named volatile organic compounds (VCOs) and nitrogen oxides. Sources of those VOCs in the environment are animals (remains) and man-made things like solvents, glass, paints, and petroleum. On the other side, combustion of gas in motor vehicles fills the environment with nitrogen oxides. VOCs also react with sunlight to produce secondary pollutants called PANs and ground-level ozone O3.

Now the answer to the question, why this smog targets some specific cities, is quite clear. The extra usage of motor vehicles, electrical appliances, low quality fuels, and uncontrolled release of gasses and fumes from factories and small level industries welcome the formation of such debris in air. Photochemical smog is strongest in urban areas with dry urban weather. Ultraviolet radiations from sunlight provide the necessary energy to break down the molecules that contribute to smog. Additionally, temperature inversion in which cold air is trapped beneath warm air, creating a pocket of stagnated air close to Earth’s surface, makes it harder to breathe.

Smog is a public health emergency with a silver line and a great challenge for society to have a blue planet where they can inhale blue air. Thousands of people die every year due to air pollution. According to a recent report, there is a decline in the average lifespan of people who live in such an environment.

Medically, leading causative agents of smog are eye irritation and thus damage lung tissues which causes respiratory issues like asthma and respiratory infection bronchitis. It also affects the nose, and throat.  It's more dangerous for young kids, an old age community and pregnant women. It causes birth defects in newborns. Moreover, secondary pollutants can damage and weaken our crops making them more prone to insects.

The problem is breathtaking. Despite the plans to stop its reoccurrence in the coming years, we cannot ignore the threat of smog this year. To contribute to building a clear green environment with blue air, we should adopt the lifestyle and policies which reduce the hazards that contribute to smog formation.

We should avoid or reduce the usage of appliances and automobiles which promote VOCs formation in air. Scented candles should be banned or controlled because these candles can shoot the particle concentrations up quite a lot indoors. Encourage cycling to recycle the environment. We should promote plantations and greenery to control climate changes and disturbances in any natural phenomena. Additionally, we should avoid its exposure as much as possible. Eat a healthy diet, including fresh fruits and green vegetables to maintain your body’s antioxidant reserves which can reduce the effects of any kind of pollution we are exposed to. Try to avoid routes where pollution level due to vehicles is less on roads and avoid mobility in busy hours.

Being part of this nation and country it’s our first and foremost duty to save our environment and surrounding where we live and breathe as much as we can. As we are the first generation to witness climate change and last to do something about it.