ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Commercial ships emit almost half as much particulate pollution as do cars and trucks around the world, according to a federal study announced Thursday.
Researchers for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Colorado concluded that ship pollutants affect global climate and the health of people living along coastlines.
“Since more than 70 percent of shipping traffic takes place within 250 miles of the coastline, this is a significant health concern for coastal communities,” said the study’s lead author, Daniel Lack of Boulder, where he’s a researcher with the NOAA.
The study authors estimate that commercial vessels emit about 2.2 million pounds of particle pollution each year.
“It’s a pretty big number when you think about how many ships there are out there compared to cars,” Lack said of the world shipping fleet, which consists of more than 100,000 vessels.
