NEW DELHI: A recent study published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal revealed that high levels of PM2.5 in the air accounted for about 7.2% of all daily deaths in 10 of India's largest and most polluted cities, including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
PM2.5 are particles measuring 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter, mostly found in vehicular and industrial emissions.
The national capital witnessed the highest number of daily and yearly deaths due to PM2.5 air pollution .
The research team, which included scientists from Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi and the Centre for Chronic Disease Control in New Delhi, discovered that a 10 micrograms per cubic metre increase in the average PM2.5 pollution measured over two days (short-term exposure) was associated with a 1.4 per cent higher daily mortality rate.
However, when the analysis was limited to observations below Indian air quality standards, which are less stringent than WHO guidelines, the death risk doubled to 2.7 per cent per 10 micrograms per cubic metre increase.
Indian air quality standards allow for 60 micrograms per cubic metre of PM2.5 over a 24-hour period, while WHO guidelines recommend a maximum of 15 micrograms per cubic metre.
The study, which is "the first multi-city, time series analysis of short-term exposure to PM2.5 and daily mortality in India," analyzed approximately 36 lakh daily deaths across ten Indian cities between 2008 and 2019. The cities included in the study were Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Shimla, and Varanasi.
PM2.5 are particles measuring 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter, mostly found in vehicular and industrial emissions.
The national capital witnessed the highest number of daily and yearly deaths due to PM2.5 air pollution .
The research team, which included scientists from Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi and the Centre for Chronic Disease Control in New Delhi, discovered that a 10 micrograms per cubic metre increase in the average PM2.5 pollution measured over two days (short-term exposure) was associated with a 1.4 per cent higher daily mortality rate.
However, when the analysis was limited to observations below Indian air quality standards, which are less stringent than WHO guidelines, the death risk doubled to 2.7 per cent per 10 micrograms per cubic metre increase.
Indian air quality standards allow for 60 micrograms per cubic metre of PM2.5 over a 24-hour period, while WHO guidelines recommend a maximum of 15 micrograms per cubic metre.
The study, which is "the first multi-city, time series analysis of short-term exposure to PM2.5 and daily mortality in India," analyzed approximately 36 lakh daily deaths across ten Indian cities between 2008 and 2019. The cities included in the study were Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Shimla, and Varanasi.
