How Does Airport Pollution Affect the Environment

When one thinks of industries that are heavy polluters, the Aviation industry consistently ranks among the worst of the worst. Not only does the average airport contribute greatly to air, ground and water pollution but also the intensely loud noise surrounding the take-off and landing of jet aircraft has been deemed "noise pollution".

The toxic emissions produced by airports and aircraft are chiefly six pollutants: nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, ground-level ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and sulphur dioxide (Whitelegg and Williams, 2000). These emissions have a definitive impact on the already growing problem of global warming as well as being very deadly to people exposed to them.

Nitrogen oxide gases come in the form of nitrogen dioxide, nitric oxide, and nitrous oxide. These damage lungs as well as harm the immune system cells. The vapor trails that follow aircraft in flight contain the majority of these gases.

The second major pollutants, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), are hydrocarbons that cause skin irritation, breathing problems, as well as serious lung damage from long-term exposure.

Ground-level Ozone, Particles in the air generated by aircraft, as well as Sulphur Dioxide greatly affect human health, especially in the lungs. People afflicted with asthma problems are especially at risk.

Carbon monoxide even at low levels can wreck havoc on central nervous system function as well as heart related pain with those at risk for coronary heart disease. At high levels carbon monoxide is lethal.

The airline industry is responsible for 13% of the carbon dioxide emitted and 2% total man-made sources of pollution. According to an Environmental Protection Agency study an estimated 10.5% of cancers in the Chicago-Midway airport vicinity were the result of aircraft emissions polluting the air (EPA, 1993). This gives airports the same level as large industrial plants in toxic emissions.

So how much is the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) doing to reduce this deadly footprint on the environment? Very little, in fact! Most of the remedies that the FAA has put forth focus only on noise pollution monitoring and reduction. Largely ignored, however, are all of the toxic emissions problems not only in the air but also water and ground pollution. Many times toxic discharges are not disclosed to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or the public and there are little to no regulations on air pollution near most airports.

With the sheer amount of deadly emissions being discharged by airports and their aircraft this industry should at the forefront of limiting the impact on the environment that they cause. Unfortunately, the business side of air travel is winning out in this battle which has allowed for little to be remedied and the problem compounding itself each and every new year.

Sources:
http://www.areco.org/faa3.htm (1997).
The Plane Truth: Aviation and the Environment, Whitelegg and Williams (2000).
Environment Protection Agency (1993).