Air Traffic Related Air Pollution (ATRAP)

I encourage you to expand your awareness regarding the air pollution caused by aviation and rocketry.

Please watch the video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzXX01hmMHk

The amount of air pollution that is caused by global aviation and rocketry is absolutely incomprehensible.

Many people are concerned about visible persistent contrails, but only approximately 5 percent of all mileage flown by global jet aircraft results in the formation of visible persistent contrails.

Approximately 95% of all chemical trails are INVISIBLE!

Only a small subset of flights occur in ice-supersaturated (humid) regions of the atmosphere, causing the contrails to persist for hours or even days, gradually turning into cirrus clouds. Wintertime conditions often see 1.5 times more persistent contrail coverage than summer.

CLICK HERE For complete details of how Air Traffic Related Air Pollution is impacting the health of the planet all of the life on earth.

Jet Aircraft

1. What percentage of the population has NEVER flown in an airplane?

Over 80% of the world’s population has never flown on an airplane, with some estimates suggesting it’s closer to 90%, highlighting a significant disparity in global access to air travel, largely due to cost, geography, and infrastructure, making it a rare experience for the majority of people worldwide.

For the majority of the world’s population, air travel is not a common activity, with some sources indicating that up to 90% of people don’t fly in a given year.

Even fewer people fly internationally, with only about 2-4% of the global population taking an international flight annually.

While common in some developed nations, air travel remains inaccessible for many in lower-income countries, rural areas, or places with good ground transport.

In contrast, in the United States, a much higher percentage of adults have flown, with recent surveys showing around 87% have flown at some point, though fewer fly in any given year.

2. What percentage of the population is responsible for 50% of the air pollution caused by global aviation?

Just 1% of the world’s population is responsible for 50% of the emissions from global aviation, according to studies based on 2018 data. This small group of frequent flyers, often described as “super emitters,” contributes a disproportionately high amount to aviation pollution compared to the roughly 90% of the world’s population that does not fly in a given year.

Only 2–4% of the global population takes international flights, which are responsible for the highest share of emissions.

In China, 5% of households account for 40% of flights, while in India, 1% of households are responsible for 45% of all flights.

These findings highlight that a small, wealthy, elite minority generates the vast majority of environmental damage from the aviation industry.

3. How many commercial air traffic flights are there globally per day and per year?

Globally, there are approximately 100,000 flights per day (including commercial, cargo, and private), with around 45,000 to 50,000 specifically being commercial flights. On an annual basis, there are roughly 35.3 million scheduled commercial flights.

There are approximately 30,300 active commercial aircraft as of June 2025.

4. How many gallons of jet fuel does a typical commercial jet combust per mile traveled?

A typical large commercial jet, such as a Boeing 747, combusts approximately 5 gallons of fuel per mile traveled.

Large Long-Haul Jets (e.g., B747): Approx. 5 gallons per mile (or 3,600+ gallons per hour).

Smaller/Midsize Jets (e.g., A321, B737): Approximately 1.4 to 2 gallons per mile.

A jet burns about 1 gallon of fuel every second during cruise, with total fuel consumption heavily influenced by weight, wind, and altitude.

5. How many gallons of jet fuel are combusted by global aviation per year?

Global aviation consumes over 100 billion gallons annually. Global commercial jet fuel consumption is expected to increase significantly, with some estimates indicating a rise from 96 billion gallons in 2018 to 215 billion gallons by 2050.

The United States accounts for a significant portion of this usage, with domestic airlines consuming more than 19 to 20 billion gallons annually.

6. What compounds are produced when jet fuel is combusted?

Jet fuel combustion primarily produces water vapor and carbon dioxide. Due to engine inefficiency and fuel impurities, it also releases nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, unburned hydrocarbons, and particulate matter (soot). These emissions contribute to atmospheric pollutants and form contrails.

All of this combined is a “trail of chemicals.”

7. How many pounds of exhaust are created when one pound of jet fuel is combusted?

When one pound of jet fuel is combusted, it creates approximately 4.4 pounds of total exhaust. This significant increase in weight occurs because the fuel must combine with a large mass of oxygen from the atmosphere to burn.

Approximately 3.16 pounds of carbon dioxide and 1.2 to 1.3 pounds of water vapor are emitted from the combustion of one pound of jet fuel. Each carbon atom from the fuel picks up two oxygen atoms from the air. The hydrogen in the fuel combines with atmospheric oxygen to form water.

The remaining small fraction (usually <1%) consists of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, unburned hydrocarbons, and particulate matter (soot). While this may appear to be a small percentage, it actually has a huge impact (see below).

8. How many pounds of oxygen are removed from the atmosphere when one pound of jet fuel is combusted?

Approximately 3.39 to 3.5 pounds of oxygen are removed from the atmosphere for every one pound of jet fuel combusted.

9. How many pounds of water are generated when one pound of jet fuel is combusted?

Approximately 1.2 to 1.4 pounds of water vapor are produced for every one pound of jet fuel burned, due to the chemical reaction of hydrogen in the fuel with oxygen in the air. This means the weight of water produced exceeds the weight of the fuel consumed.

A significant amount of water vapor is generated, and at high altitudes, this water vapor immediately freezes, and may (or may not) combine with particulate matter to form the white condensation trails (contrails) behind aircraft.

10. How many gallons of water are released into the atmosphere every year by global aviation?

Water vapor constitutes roughly 30% of aircraft exhaust fumes. Global aviation releases a massive volume of water vapor into the atmosphere annually. In the years leading up to 2019, aircraft engines consumed more than 1 billion liters of fuel per day. This indicates a daily release of over 1.2 billion liters (approximately 325 million gallons) of water per day, which translates to over 118 billion gallons per year.

Water vapor is a potent greenhouse gas. Its main impact comes from creating persistent contrails and cirrus clouds, which contribute to about 5% of global warming.

Most water vapor released in the troposphere is removed by precipitation within 1 to 2 weeks which means that global aviation adds an additional 118 billion gallons of rainfall per year, much of it contaminated by the particulate matter that was also emitted in the exhaust.

11. What is the typical humidity (%) at an altitude of 35,000 feet?

Cold air from high altitudes holds very little moisture. The air at this altitude is almost entirely devoid of moisture (often <1% relative humidity). (Addendum: The altitude of the beginning of the stratosphere varies by location.)

12. What are PM2.5 particles?

A PM2.5 particle is defined as having a diameter of 2.5 microns. Approximately 10,160 PM2.5 particles would fit side-by-side in one inch.

13. How many individual particles of particulate matter (PM2.5) are released into the atmosphere annually by global aviation?

In 2019, the last representative year for aviation prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, global aviation was estimated to have emitted approximately 347 SEPTILLION (one septillion = one trillion trillion) non-volatile particulate matter particles into the atmosphere. These figures are for non-volatile particulate matter (soot), which are the primary particulate emissions from jet engines. Total particulate matter can include volatile particles that form later in the plume, which are more difficult to quantify.

In terms of mass, this corresponds to approximately 9.68 Gg (gigagrams) or 9,680 tonnes of non-volatile particulate matter emitted annually.

Around 12% of these particle numbers are emitted during the landing, taxi, and take-off cycle (within 3,000 ft of the surface), disproportionately affecting air quality near airports.

Aviation-attributable PM2.5 is responsible for an estimated 21,200 premature deaths globally each year.

14. Does the EPA set standards for the number of PM2.5 particles found in ambient air?

The EPA sets standards for fine particulate matter in ambient air, but these are based on mass concentration (or micrograms per cubic meter), not on the actual number of particles.

15. Do EPA regulations limit visible smoke and non-volatile particulate matter that essentially make smoke plumes invisible on modern jet engines?

Yes, EPA regulations, adopted by the FAA in 2024, set strict standards for non-volatile particulate matter from civil aircraft engines, effectively making smoke plumes from modern jet engines invisible.

The regulations (40 CFR Part 1031) introduce maximum standards for non-volatile particulate matter, aligning with international standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

These standards results in almost invisible smoke trails.

Aviation Gas (AvGas)

1. Does Aviation Gas (AvGas) still contain lead?

Yes, most Aviation Gasoline (AvGas)—specifically the common 100LL (100 Octane Low Lead) grade—still contains tetraethyl lead to prevent engine knock and protect valves in piston-engine aircraft. While leaded automobile gasoline was banned in 1996, it remains authorized for aviation to maintain safe engine performance, as no universal, widely approved alternative is currently in place.

Leaded AvGas is the largest source of lead emissions in U.S. air, responsible for approximately 70% of the total, which poses serious health risks to communities near airports.

Despite “low lead” in its name, 100LL can contain up to 2.12 grams of lead per gallon.

2. How many gallons of leaded Aviation Gas (AvGas) are combusted globally each year?

Global consumption of Avgas (primarily 100LL) is often cited in the range of 200–230 million gallons annually, although some estimates specifically focus on the US market.

While the United States accounts for a significant portion of this total—with an estimated 180 to 186 million gallons consumed annually by roughly 167,000–170,000 aircraft in the U.S. and an estimated 230,000 worldwide.

3. How many pounds of lead are released into the atmosphere by global aviation each year?

Based on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data, roughly 470 tons (or 940,000 pounds) of lead were emitted into the atmosphere by piston-engine aircraft in the United States alone in 2017, with estimates from that period often citing a range between 468 and 571 tons annually.

While this data largely reflects US-based general aviation, it represents a significant portion of the total global, and the primary source of US, leaded aviation gasoline (avgas) consumption.

These emissions account for approximately 70% of the total lead released into the atmosphere in the U.S..

Over 5 million people, including 363,000 children under age 5, live within 500 meters of airports where these planes operate.

4. Does lead in the atmosphere impact ice particle nucleation?

Yes, lead in the atmosphere significantly impacts ice particle nucleation. Research indicates that atmospheric lead particles, often from pollution, act as highly efficient ice nuclei, or “seeds,” that trigger ice crystal formation in clouds at warmer temperatures than most other particles. This process influences cloud formation, precipitation, and potential climate cooling.

Lead is considered a “supercharger” for ice-nucleating dust particles, allowing them to form ice at lower supersaturations (i.e., less cold/humid conditions).

Ice clouds (cirrus) containing lead-based particles can efficiently radiate heat from the Earth’s surface into space, which can produce a cooling effect on the global climate.

Research suggests that over a third of sampled ice nuclei, particularly in polluted regions, may contain lead.

Studies have shown that lead-containing particles (like lead oxide) are significantly more efficient at initiating ice formation compared to other, more common atmospheric particles.

5. What date is the deadline for the public to comment on the FAA plan to eliminate lead from Aviation Gas?

The deadline for the public to submit comments on the FAA’s draft transition plan to eliminate lead from aviation gasoline is March 13, 2026.

Rocketry

1. How many pounds of aluminum are released into the atmosphere during a single launch of NASA’s Artemis Space Launch System?

Each Space Launch System solid rocket booster contains over 1 million pounds of propellant, which includes aluminum powder as fuel, releasing large amounts of aluminum oxide into the atmosphere. Each of the twin boosters used for Artemis missions, which are 17-stories tall, contains roughly 1.1 million pounds of propellant.

Aluminum constitutes 16% to 18% of the solid rocket motor propellant, with aluminum oxide accounting for 30–34% of the ejected exhaust mass.

Based on the propellant, roughly 350,000 to over 370,000 pounds of aluminum oxide (a compound of aluminum and oxygen) is released during a single launch of the SLS.

2. How many pounds of black carbon (soot) are released into the atmosphere during a single launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 and a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket?

Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy use RP-1 (refined kerosene) and liquid oxygen, which causes incomplete combustion and creates significant black carbon particulates.

A single launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket releases an estimated 5 to 10 tons (11,000 to 22,000 pounds) of black carbon (soot) into the upper atmosphere. For the more powerful Falcon Heavy, which uses three Falcon 9 cores, the amount of black carbon soot emitted is roughly three times higher, or approximately 15 to 30 tons.

Black carbon from rockets is particularly damaging because it is released directly into the stratosphere, where it can linger, trap heat and significantly impact the ozone layer and climate.

3. How many rockets has SpaceX launched in the past 10 years?

SpaceX had 550 successful orbital launches in the past decade (2016–2025), primarily using the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets. The company launched 165+ orbital missions in 2025 alone, and over 400 launches occurred between 2021 and 2025, driven by Starlink, commercial, and government missions.

SpaceX also began testing its next-generation Starship rocket, with multiple test flights occurring during 2023–2025.

4. How many pounds of rocket fuel have been used by the missiles launched during the war between Ukraine and Russia?

If 4,270 cruise missiles (like the Kalibr or Kh-101) were launched with an average propellant weight of 1,000 kg (2,204 lbs), this would equate to roughly 9.4 million pounds of fuel.

In early 2025, it was reported that Russia had launched approximately 820 ballistic missiles (Iskander, Kinzhal, and North Korean KN-23) over a 297-day period. Using an average of 3,000 kg (6,614 lbs) of propellant per missile, these launches alone would account for approximately 5.4 million pounds of fuel.

5. How many pounds of rocket fuel have been used by the missiles launched during the conflict between Israel, Gaza, Iran, Yemen and other nations?

While there is no official single figure for the total pounds of rocket fuel used across all missiles in the regional conflict, approximately 30,000 to 35,000 rockets, ballistic missiles, and drones have been fired at Israel alone during this period.

Details of the rocket fuel used by missiles launched by Israel does not seem to be available on the internet.

CLICK HERE to learn more about how pollution from aviation and rocketry has harmed human health, altered the global climate, changed local weather patterns and is continuing to poison the planet and all of the people on it.

James Roguski

310-619-3055

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