Local Arctic Air Pollution: A Neglected but Serious Problem

• Published in: Earth's Future
• Main Authors: Schmale, J., Arnold, S. R., Law, Kathy S., Thorp, T., Anenberg, S., Simpson, W. R., Mao, J., Pratt, K. A.
• Other Authors: Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry Paul Scherrer Institute (LAC), Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science Leeds (ICAS), School of Earth and Environment Leeds (SEE), University of Leeds-University of Leeds, TROPO - LATMOS, Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University (GW), Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Fairbanks, University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences Ann Arbor, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, University of Michigan System-University of Michigan System, Arctic Initiative PARCS (Pollution in the Arctic System)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2018
• Subjects: [PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-AO-PH]Physics [physics]/Physics [physics]/Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics [physics.ao-ph]; [SDE]Environmental Sciences; Arctic
• Online Access: https://insu.hal.science/insu-01889911; https://insu.hal.science/insu-01889911/document; https://insu.hal.science/insu-01889911/file/Schmale_et_al-2018.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1029/2018EF000952

International audience Air pollution in the Arctic caused by local emission sources is a challenge that is important but often overlooked. Local Arctic air pollution can be severe and significantly exceed air quality standards, impairing public health and affecting ecosystems. Specifically in the wintertime, pollution can accumulate under inversion layers. However, neither the contributing emission sources are well identified and quantified nor the relevant atmospheric mechanisms forming pollution are well understood. In the summer, boreal forest fires cause high levels of atmospheric pollution. Despite the often high exposure to air pollution, there are neither specific epidemiological nor toxicological health impact studies in the Arctic. Hence, effects on the local population are difficult to estimate at present. Socioeconomic development of the Arctic is already occurring and expected to be significant in the future. Arctic destination shipping is likely to increase with the development of natural resource extraction, and tourism might expand. Such development will not only lead to growth in the population living in the Arctic but will likely increase emission types and magnitudes. Present‐day inventories show a large spread in the amount and location of emissions representing a significant source of uncertainty in model predictions that often deviate significantly from observations. This is a challenge for modeling studies that aim to assess the impacts of within Arctic air pollution. Prognoses for the future are hence even more difficult, given the additional uncertainty of estimating emissions based on future Arctic economic development scenarios.