Black carbon is a climate forcing agent contributing to global warming. Black carbon warms the Earth by absorbing sunlight and heating the atmosphere and by reducing albedo when deposited on snow and ice and indirectly by interaction with clouds, with the total forcing of 1.1 W/m2. Black Carbon (BC) has a graphite-like structure and influences climate through its properties such as strong optical absorption, mild chemical reactivity leading to slow removal mechanism by chemical processes in the atmosphere. BC is produced both naturally and by human activities as a result of the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, bio-fuels, and biomass. Primary sources include emissions from diesel engines, cook stoves, wood burning and forest fires.
In Iraq black carbon emissions primarily come from the combustion of fossil fuels, particularly in the transportation and energy sectors. Diesel vehicles, in particular, are a major source of black carbon emissions in urban areas. Additionally, the use of solid fuels for cooking and heating in some rural areas also contributes to black carbon emissions.
Black carbon is the sooty black material emitted from gas and diesel engines, coal-fired power plants, and other sources that burn fossil fuel. It comprises a significant portion of particulate matter or PM, which is an air pollutant. BC is produced both naturally and by human activities as a result of the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, biofuels, and biomass. Primary sources include emissions from diesel engines, cook stoves, wood burning and forest fires. Black carbon is a short-lived climate pollutant with a lifetime of only days to weeks after release in the atmosphere. During this short period of time, black carbon can have significant direct and indirect impacts on the climate, the cryosphere, agriculture and human health. Black Carbon (BC) has a graphite-like structure and influences climate through its properties such as strong optical absorption, mild chemical reactivity leading to slow removal mechanism by chemical processes in the atmosphere. Black carbon affects the Earth's temperature by absorbing solar energy and releasing it as heat. Warm air flows from lower latitudes to the Arctic. When it falls out of the atmosphere onto ice or snow, black carbon warms the surface and dramatically increases the rate of melting. Black carbon stays in the atmosphere for just days to weeks, but it can do a lot of lasting damage. The contribution to warming by one gram of black carbon is 100 to 2,000 times more than one gram of CO2 on a 100-year timescale.