BLACK CARBON RESEARCH

• The planet Earth is getting warmer.
• Black Carbon adds more than 1 W/m² to the greenhouse effect. 
• Black Carbon is the second-largest contributor to global warming after CO₂. 
• 7 million people worldwide die every year due to air pollution.
• Sea level is rising fast. 
• 1 billion people are threatened by sea level rise.
• Biomass burning, transport and industry emit large amounts of Black Carbon into air.

Black carbon is present in the atmosphere predominantly due to anthropogenic activity and is the second most important cause of atmospheric warming. Natural phenomena, such as volcanic eruptions, bush fires and desert dust also significantly contribute to the climate change in different ways.

The incomplete combustion of fuels containing carbon (such as gasoline, diesel, natural gas, wood and other biomasses) results in the emission of aerosols, small particles which pollute the air and are harmful to people’s health. An important part of these emissions is soot, known by its scientific name: Black Carbon (BC). It is inert and can be transported over great distances. It also highly absorbs sunlight, which is the reason for its name – it has a very black appearance.