Islamabad (Web Desk/ Agencies): In an effort to strengthen air quality initiatives, the national space agency Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) has commenced a project to investigate sources of fine particulate matter, a key contributor to urban smog.
According to an official source, SUPARCO will leverage its satellite-based monitoring and modeling expertise, as well as its Air Quality Monitoring Mobile Lab equipped with air quality analyzers, for this project.
These air monitoring mobile labs are stationed in Karachi, Lahore and Gilgit, the official said.
About the scientific basis of smog, the official informed that smog, a type of ground-level air pollution, forms when Nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) react with sunlight and Particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) from industrial, vehicular, and agricultural sources accumulates. Temperature inversions trap pollutants near the surface and worsen the condition.
About the health and environmental impacts of smog, the official conveyed that smog exposure leads to respiratory issues (asthma, bronchitis), cardiovascular diseases, cancer risk, crop damage and reduced agricultural productivity and visibility reduction and aviation hazards.
As the national space agency of Pakistan, SUPARCO plays a vital role in environmental and air quality monitoring through satellite applications.
As the only national agency conducting simultaneous satellite and ground-based research on smog constituents, SUPARCO focuses on aerosol optical depth (AOD) analysis and Particulate matter (PM) characterization.