Unreported Sources Of Toxic Gases Found By NASA

NASA, the Environment and Climate Change Canada, and two universities have located 39 unreported and major man-made sources of toxic sulfur dioxide emissions.

Known as a health hazard and contributor to acid rain, sulfur dioxide (SO2) is one of six air pollutants that are regulated by the US Environmental Protection Agency, reported Phys.org. Monitoring of this chemical includes the use of emission inventories derived from ground-based measurements and factors, and these inventories, like fuel usage, are used to evaluate regulation policies for air quality improvements.

The unreported emission sources - found in the analysis between 2005 and 2014, are clusters of coal-burning power plants, smelters, and oil and gas operations found notably in the Middle East, Mexico, and parts of Russia. Together, they account to about 12 percent of the emissions of sulfur dioxide made by humans. This discrepancy may have a large impact on regional air quality.

However, there are other sources of sulfur dioxide that scientists didn't count on until recently. They located 75 natural sources of this toxic gas from non-erupting volcanoes in the Pacific - many of them leaking the toxic gas despite of inactivity.

CBC Canada noted that not only can the sulfur dioxide generate acid rain, itcan also be harmful to freshwater animals and produce matter that is harmful to human health. It has been linked to asthma and even lung cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

Chris McLinden, the lead author of the study and a research scientist at the Environment and Climate Change Canada explained, "Globally, that's the component of air pollution for which the most deaths are attributed."

A more comprehensive report could help scientists generate more accurate pollution forecasts and estimates regarding air pollution. "Ultimately what this will lead to, we hope, is better global inventories that can be used to make better decisions," he said.

Theoretically, the information they could gather can help enforce stricter environmental regulations that can make an impact on the laws and policies of different countries.