Umoya ohlanzekile ubalulekile empilweni enempilo, kodwa ngokusho kwe-World Health Organization (WHO), cishe u-99% wabantu bomhlaba wonke baphefumula umoya odlula imikhawulo yabo eqondisiwe yokungcoliswa komoya. “Ikhwalithi yomoya iyisilinganiso sokuthi kungakanani izinto ezisemoyeni, okuhlanganisa izinhlayiya kanye nokungcola kwegesi,” kusho uKristina Pistone, usosayensi ocwaningayo e-NASA Ames Research Center. Ucwaningo lukaPistone luhlanganisa kokubili izindawo zomkhathi kanye nezesimo sezulu, ngokugxila emthonjeni wezinhlayiya zomkhathi esimweni sezulu nasemafwini. “Kubalulekile ukuqonda ikhwalithi yomoya ngoba ithinta impilo yakho nokuthi ungaphila impilo yakho kahle kangakanani futhi uqhubeke nosuku lwakho,” kusho uPistone. Sahlala phansi nePistone ukuze sifunde kabanzi ngekhwalithi yomoya nokuthi ingaba kanjani nomthelela obonakalayo empilweni yabantu kanye nemvelo.
Yini eyenza ikhwalithi yomoya?
Kunezinhlobo eziyisithupha eziyinhloko zokungcola komoya ezilawulwa yi-Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) e-United States: izinto ezincane (PM), ama-nitrogen oxide, i-ozone, ama-sulfur oxide, i-carbon monoxide, kanye ne-lead. Lezi zinto ezingcolisayo zivela emithonjeni yemvelo, njengezinto ezincane ezikhuphukela emkhathini zivela emlilweni nasethulini logwadule, noma emisebenzini yabantu, njenge-ozone ekhiqizwa ukukhanya kwelanga okusabela ekukhishweni kwezimoto.
Kubaluleke ngani ikhwalithi yomoya?
Ikhwalithi yomoya ithonya impilo kanye nekhwalithi yokuphila. “Njengoba nje sidinga ukugwinya amanzi, sidinga ukuphefumula umoya,” kusho uPistone. “Sesilindele amanzi ahlanzekile ngoba siyaqonda ukuthi siyawadinga ukuze siphile futhi sibe nempilo enhle, futhi kufanele silindele okufanayo emoyeni wethu.”
Ikhwalithi yomoya engeyinhle ihlotshaniswa nemiphumela yenhliziyo nemithambo yegazi kanye nokuphefumula kubantu. Ukuchayeka i-nitrogen dioxide (NO2) isikhathi esifushane, ngokwesibonelo, kungabangela izimpawu zokuphefumula njengokukhwehlela nokuphefumula, kanti ukuchayeka isikhathi eside kwandisa ingozi yokuthola izifo zokuphefumula ezifana ne-asthma noma izifo zokuphefumula. Ukuchayeka ku-ozone kungalimaza amaphaphu futhi kulimaze imigudu yokuphefumula. Ukuchayeka ku-PM2.5 (izinhlayiya ezingama-2.5 micrometer noma ngaphansi) kubangela ukucasuka kwamaphaphu futhi kuhlotshaniswa nezifo zenhliziyo namaphaphu.
Ngaphezu kwemiphumela yayo empilweni yabantu, ikhwalithi yomoya engeyinhle ingalimaza imvelo, ingcolise imizimba yamanzi ngokwandisa i-acid kanye ne-eutrophication. Lezi zinqubo zibulala izitshalo, ziqede izakhamzimba zomhlabathi, futhi zilimaze izilwane.
Ukulinganisa Ikhwalithi Yomoya: Inkomba Yekhwalithi Yomoya (i-AQI)
Ikhwalithi yomoya ifana nesimo sezulu; ingashintsha ngokushesha, ngisho naphakathi kwamahora ambalwa. Ukuze ilinganise futhi ibike ngekhwalithi yomoya, i-EPA isebenzisa i-United States Air Quality Index (AQI). I-AQI ibalwa ngokulinganisa ukungcola komoya ngakunye okuyisithupha okuyinhloko esikalini kusukela ku-"Okuhle" kuya ku-"Oyingozi," ukukhiqiza inani elihlanganisiwe lenombolo ye-AQI elingu-0-500.
“Ngokuvamile uma sikhuluma ngekhwalithi yomoya, sithi kunezinto ezisemkhathini esaziyo ukuthi azilungile ukuthi abantu baphefumule ngaso sonke isikhathi,” kusho uPistone. “Ngakho-ke ukuze ube nekhwalithi yomoya enhle, udinga ukuba ngaphansi komkhawulo othile wokungcola.” Izindawo emhlabeni wonke zisebenzisa imikhawulo ehlukene yekhwalithi yomoya “enhle”, okuvame ukuxhomeke ekutheni uhlelo lwazo lulinganisa ziphi izinto ezingcolisayo. Ohlelweni lwe-EPA, inani le-AQI elingu-50 noma ngaphansi libhekwa njengelihle, kanti elingu-51-100 libhekwa njengelilinganiselwe. Inani le-AQI eliphakathi kuka-100 no-150 libhekwa njengelingenampilo kumaqembu azwelayo, futhi amanani aphezulu awaphilile kuwo wonke umuntu; isaziso sezempilo sikhishwa lapho i-AQI ifinyelela ku-200. Noma yiliphi inani elingaphezu kuka-300 libhekwa njengeliyingozi, futhi livame ukuhlotshaniswa nokungcola kwezinhlayiya okuvela emlilweni wasendle.
Ucwaningo Lwekhwalithi Yomoya lwe-NASA kanye Nemikhiqizo Yedatha
Izinzwa zekhwalithi yomoya ziwumthombo obalulekile wokuthwebula idatha yekhwalithi yomoya ezingeni lendawo.
Ngo-2022, i-Trace Gas GRup (TGGR) e-NASA Ames Research Center yasungula ubuchwepheshe bezinzwa zenethiwekhi ezingabizi kakhulu zokuhlola ukungcola, noma i-INSTEP: inethiwekhi entsha yezinzwa zekhwalithi yomoya ezishibhile ezilinganisa ukungcola okuhlukahlukene. Lezi zinzwa zibamba idatha yekhwalithi yomoya ezindaweni ezithile eCalifornia, eColorado, naseMongolia, futhi ziye zabonakala ziwusizo ekuqapheni ikhwalithi yomoya ngesikhathi somlilo eCalifornia.
Umkhankaso ka-2024 Wokuphenya Ngekhwalithi Yomoya wase-Asia (i-ASIA-AQ) oqhutshwa yi-Airborne kanye ne-Satellite Investigation of Asian Air Quality (i-ASIA-AQ) wahlanganisa idatha yezinzwa ezivela ezindizeni, kuma-satellite, kanye nasezinkundleni ezisekelwe phansi ukuze kuhlolwe ikhwalithi yomoya emazweni amaningana e-Asia. Idatha ethathwe kumathuluzi amaningi kulezi zindiza, njenge-Meteorological Measurement System (MMS) evela ku-NASA Ames Atmospheric Science Branch, isetshenziselwa ukucwenga amamodeli ekhwalithi yomoya ukuze kubikezelwe futhi kuhlolwe izimo zekhwalithi yomoya.
Kuyo yonke i-ejensi, i-NASA inezinhlobonhlobo zamasathelayithi abuka uMhlaba kanye nobunye ubuchwepheshe bokuthwebula nokubika idatha yekhwalithi yomoya. Ngo-2023, i-NASA yethule umsebenzi we-Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO), olinganisa ikhwalithi yomoya kanye nokungcola eNyakatho Melika. Ithuluzi le-NASA's Land, Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for Earth Observations (LANCE) linikeza ababikezeli bekhwalithi yomoya izilinganiso eziqoqwe kusuka kumathuluzi amaningi e-NASA, zingakapheli amahora amathathu kusukela ekubonweni kwayo.
Ukuze sibe nendawo enempilo yekhwalithi yomoya, singaqapha idatha yekhwalithi yomoya ngesikhathi sangempela. Okulandelayo izinzwa ezingalinganisa amapharamitha ahlukene ekhwalithi yomoya
Isikhathi sokuthunyelwe: Disemba-04-2024