Winter Air Pollution: Why It’s Getting Worse in the Cold Season?

Air pollution has been a big concern globally for several years since it can cause people to die from air pollution-related illness. Especially in cities in Europe, winter air pollution are worse and affects on many levels. 

Winter air pollution is the contamination of the air quality whether in the indoor or outdoor environment in the winter season. The air pollution is caused by physical, chemical, or biological agents that change the natural characteristics of the air. Here are several reasons why air pollution in the cold season is worse. 

Winter Inversion 

The first reason why the air pollution is worse in the winter is because of the winter inversion. It is related with how the atmosphere carried away the air pollutants from the ground. 

In the winter season, the air in the atmosphere is dense and cooler which makes the warm air traps the cool air in the between. This condition is called as inversion. The winter inversion resulted in the pollutants that disperse in the atmosphere. Moreover, the inversion is getting stronger at night since the air quality deteriorates. This makes the pollution level in the winter season is highter than in the summer. 

Weather Effects in Winter Season 

Second, winter air pollution can also be caused by the weather during the cold season. The weather can have a significant impact since it can affect the amount of ozone in the atmosphere. 

In the winter season, the temperature is dropped and caused cold air has less space between the molecules of gas. If there is any warm air forced to pass, the cold air will form a kind of cap between the cold and warm air. This caused the pollutants that trapped and unable to escape. 

Different Habits During Summer and Winter 

People’s habits during the winter season also caused winter air pollution. For instance, during the winter it is common to leave cars on and idling to defrost the car. Not only that, during winter, people also burn biomass to warm up their houses. This can also cause persistent fog such as in several cities in Europe and the U.S. 

Clean the Air during the Winter 

In the winter, several aspects can make the air quality worse. To minimize the effect of winter air pollution, several ways can be done such as by installing air purifiers at home, taking more breaks during outdoor activity, doing the activity in the morning, or many others.