International research team finds air pollution increases over the North Indian Ocean during the monsoon
Research carried out by an international team of researchers, including representatives from German and Austrian research and academic institutes, has shown that the northern Indian Ocean region experiences very high pollution levels during the winter monsoon. The results, published in full in the latest issue of the journal 'Science', are drawn from a joint effort to measure the transport of air pollution from South and South eastern Asia towards the Indian Ocean. 'The Indian Ocean experiment (INDOEX) provides a unique look at the global implications of regional air pollution,' reports Science. 'After analysing pollution data collected from land, sea and air, J. Lelieveld and INDOEX colleagues conclude that most of the pollution in the area cones form bio-fuel (e.g. wood and dung) burning in South and Southeast Asia, with a small component from fossil fuel burning. This type of pollution also reduces the primary source of oxidation that can remove certain natural and human-produced gases from the atmosphere.'