The effects of CO2 and NH3/NOx emission from private vehicles to commute school on smog in Beijing and solutions

Abstract

Smog, a severe threat to people's health, has emerged as an intractable issue that both the government and the public cannot afford to ignore. PM2.5 is the key component of smog which includes CO 2 and NH 3 /NO x, and could cause many diseases. Vehicle exhausts contribute 31-42 percent to the source of smog, and we have found that many students from both elementary and middle schools prefer to take private vehicles to commute to school in Beijing. However, there is not enough quantitative evidence to evaluate the emission of private vehicles and the reduction we do as a student. Our research shows 39% high school students in Beijing from elementary and middle schools preferred to take private vehicles to school. This transportation style will emit lots of CO 2 and NH 3 /NO x . Based on the formula of C footprint, the emission of CO 2 from private vehicles was approximately 700,000t, which is 23 times higher than that of public transportation, and the estimated CO 2 and NH 3 /NO x emission contribution to PM2.5 are about 6.0-10.0%. Therefore, the compound of CO 2 and NH 3 /NO x emitted from student's traffic played an important role in increasing smog level. This article argues that carpooling could serve as a solution to air pollution by reducing vehicle exhausts, easing traffic jam and promoting green lifestyle. We also explore new approaches to contribute to environment protection by low cost. This work provides a better understanding of the effects of CO 2 and NH 3 /NO x emission from private vehicles to commute school on smog in Beijing and can benefit both air quality management by low cost.