Atmospheric Aerosols, Air Pollution and Climate Change
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Abstract:
During recent 50 years, the global climate change is mostly caused by increasing atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases,while air pollution is mainly produced by atmospheric aerosol particles suspended in the air. They are both emitted by burning of fossil fuels. Recent studies have shown that the atm ospheric aerosols also have significant climate effects: (1) they can reduce sol ar radiation reaching the surface through scattering and absorbing the sunlight, thus leading to cooling; and (2) they can modify microphysical processes and pr ecipitation nature as cloud condensation nuclei, thus leading to change in hydro logical cycle in the atmosphere. Atmospheric aerosols may exert important impact s in many aspects, such as on agriculture, water resources, human health, urbani zation,and so on. Due to common causes between air pollution and climate change to a greater e xtent a unified action should be taken for abatement and control of air pollutio n and mitigation of emission of greenhouse gases, based on the formulation of a winwin efficient strategy.