What is soot?

• Soot, sometimes called lampblack or carbon black, is a fine black or brown powder that is a product of incomplete combustion of fossil fuels.
• At the elemental level, soot majorly contains black carbon in addition to hydrogen, oxygen and sulfur.
• Soot may also contain a number of heavy metals, including arsenic, cadmium, and chromium.
• Soot can come from a wide variety of sources such as  burning of fossil fuels by coal-fired power plants, industrial facilities, and combustion engines. It is also emitted by wildfires and volcanic eruptions.
• Soot absorbs solar radiation, which warms the atmosphere. It is estimated that black carbon is responsible for about 20% of global warming.
• Soot can penetrate deep into the lungs, where it can cause a variety of health problems, including respiratory infections, heart disease, and cancer