Air Quality Articles

Environmental Problems in Cement and Construction

The cement industry, as of 2007, produced 5% of the total greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, particularly carbon dioxide. The cement industry, particularly cement kilns, also emit hazardous air pollutants. The burning of hazardous waste in kilns is a major problem for air quality.

To significantly cut down these alarmingly huge emission volumes is a task that is nothing short of herculean, cement companies executives say. As long as the demand for cement and other concrete products increases, greenhouse emissions continually increase as well.

Topping all these off is the fact that the cement industry now pollutes the air with 22,918 pounds of airborne mercury each year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA monitors and regulates the industry's emission of various air pollutants.

Eighteen of the world's cement companies held a summit last year in Brussels to discuss the necessary steps to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse emissions. Several proposals were discussed, such as burning waste products together with coal and improving their factories in terms of energy efficiency.

The construction industry, on the other hand, contributes 40% of the total greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. However, it is not only the construction industry per se that emits such huge amounts. Instead, the finished products of construction companies, such as houses, buildings, and railways, are the ones that emit significant amounts of waste gases. This is because energy used for several building operations such as ventilation, lighting, and cooling produces greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide.

Though 40% greenhouse emission is to say the least a significant amount, advances in building technology and energy efficiency have already been made. Many construction firms are now adapting environment-friendly construction techniques and energy-saving designs for commercial and residential buildings to lessen the amount of greenhouse gases that they generate.