Earth has an atmospheric region man has not changed. The location was discovered any a research team from CSU or Colorado State University. This was the first time this type of study was conducted. The bioaerosol composition was measured for the Southern Ocean close to Antarctica. The results showed this was the cleanest air on the planet. The results were recently published by the National Academy of Sciences.
Professor Sonia Kreidenweis was one of the members of the CSU team suspecting the air in this region was least impacted by humans. Scientists and researchers are struggling to find areas not affected by climate change. That makes this study one-of-a-kind. The lower clouds above the Southern Ocean are fed by the boundary air layer. The study showed no aerosols were present in this layer. Aerosols are liquid and sold gases and particles within the air produced by:
• Specific types of crops
• Disposal of water waste
• Burning fossil fuels
• Fertilizer production
The scientific study
Everything in the air and where it originated was studied. The team used bacteria found in the air to determine what the lower atmosphere consisted of. According to the study’s co-author, the aerosols in control of the Southern Ocean clouds have a strong connection to ocean biological processes. He believes Antarctica is isolated from the dispersal of southward nutrient deposits and microorganiams.
This suggests the Southern Ocean is one of the only areas on Earth not impacted by anthropogenic activities. Air with direct contact with the Southern Ocean was also tested by the team. A research boat was sent south of Tasmania to the Antarctic ice edge. Airbourne microbes were then analyzed by the team. The air from this far south did not come from the more northern and polluted areas.
The study called the air “truly pristine.” According to WHO, approximately seven million people die every year from air pollution. This increases the risk of lung cancer, stroke, heart disease and can shorten life by three years. Every area across the globe is connected by a complex weather and climate process. The purpose of the study was to determine how far particles resulting from society reach.
The exploration
The exploration began when the team sailed to the Southern Ocean from Tasmania. The particles within the atmosphere were then measured at several different points. Measurements were taken from the boundary layer. This layer directly contacts the surface of the ocean and reaches into the atmosphere a maximum of 1.2 miles or 1.9 kilometers.
Publication of the results of the study occurred on June 1st of 2020 in the National Academy of Science Journal Proceedings. According to the study, the air from the boundary layer was both free of particles and pristine. There was no connection found with human activities or pollution and nothing had been transported from a distant area. Finding any area on the planet not affected by humans is extremely difficult.
The initial belief of the scientists was the air directly over this area was the least affected by dust from the continents or humans. These results are different from any other study conducted in the subtropics or oceans of the Northern Hemisphere. These studies determined the majority of microbes originated from continents upwind. More than 80 percent of all individuals living in an urban area are affected.
Air pollution is monitored throughout these areas to determine if the people are exposed to air quality levels greater than the guidelines established by WHO. According to a statement by the health organization, the highest exposure is experienced by countries with low to mid-level incomes. Studies have already shown people living hundreds of miles away from the source can be affected.