Vehicular emissions main cause of air pollution and smog

ISLAMABAD: When Pakistan’s air quality crisis is a heart-wrenching tragedy, with Lahore ranking among the world’s most polluted cities, its staggering Air Quality Index is a constant reminder of the nation’s despair during the last month.

The once-pristine skies are now perpetually shrouded in toxic smog, choking its citizens and stealing their breath. In this situation again Engineer Arshad H Abbasi launched a research-based report titled ‘The Dark Clouds of Pakistan -- An Investigative Report on Air Pollution & Smog’ by US based think-tank PIPRI’. Despite the authors’ efforts to sound the alarm, their pleas echoing through power corridors, the situation remains dire.

In 2003, Arshad H Abbasi made a landmark contribution to Pakistan’s environmental conservation by authoring a report on the ecological threats posed by the New Murree Project planned by cutting the ancient conifer forests of Patriata mountain. His detailed findings prompted the Supreme Court of Pakistan to intervene, leading to the shelving of the project.

This study is inspired by the World Bank’s report highlighting that air pollution costs Pakistan over $47 billion annually. This study conducted by Engineer Abbasi emphasizes that rather than focusing on superficial strategies that regressively impact the province of Punjab, a more effective approach is addressing the root causes of severe air pollution and smog. Employing advanced scientific and engineering solutions can mitigate the environmental crisis while fostering sustainable development. The principle of “money saved is money earned” underscores the urgency of adopting cost-efficient, impactful measures.

In the report, it is stated that vehicular emissions are a leading cause of Pakistan’s severe air pollution and smog. Diesel and petrol used in the country contain high levels of sulfur and benzene, significantly contributing to particulate matter (PM) during combustion. Although Euro 5 fuel standards were proposed in 2008 to curb harmful emissions, enforcement by Ogra and the Ministry of Petroleum has stalled. Meanwhile, countries like China and India have adopted Euro 6 standards. Pakistan’s refinery upgrades could drastically reduce pollutants like CO, HC, NOx, and PM without requiring external funding.

In 2024, official reports revealed that 30-40 percent of Pakistan’s fuel comes from smuggled Iranian diesel and petrol, laden with high sulfur levels and hazardous toxins like manganese and xylene, severely harming public health and the environment. Sanctions have hindered Iran’s ability to upgrade refineries, making their fuels substandard. This smuggling costs Pakistan nearly $1 billion annually in lost taxes. Compounded by rampant fuel adulteration, toxic vehicular emissions release carcinogenic pollutants and contribute to smog, worsening health and environmental crises. Immediate action is crucial to prevent further devastation.

The findings of the report that one of the most serious issues of toxic vehicular emissions is unprecedented adulteration in fuel that’s why the transport sector is a main contributor to the release of toxic pollutants, including carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NO), sulfur dioxide (SO), particulate matter (PM and PM), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene and toluene, both recognised as potent carcinogens. These emissions pose severe risks to human health while acting as precursors to ground-level ozone (O) formation and the amplification of particulate matter concentrations. Vehicular emissions of NO, SO, and CO undergo atmospheric transformations into secondary pollutants, collectively contributing to the photochemical haze commonly referred to as Los Angeles smog or, more broadly, as smog.

Another finding is Pakistan’s gas sector, overseen by Ogra, is struggling with declining domestic natural gas production while LPG consumption rises, now accounting for 1.5% of the energy mix. Despite consuming over two million tons of LPG annually, only 40% is locally produced, with the rest smuggled across land borders.

These imports, often of low quality from outdated refineries, worsen air pollution and smog. In Sindh and Punjab, LPG is adulterated with CO, increasing risks of hazardous accidents, allegedly facilitated by local authorities and OGRA.

While Working at NAB, the author noted that most petroleum stations don’t meet fuel specifications as well as the quantity of petrol or diesel, but adulteration in fuel is poisoning the nation with toxic substances. Determined to combat this environmental catastrophe, he along with his engineer son proposed a revolutionary web-based real-time system to check the quality and quality of fuel. But our noble quest turned into a nightmare.