Air pollution taking lives even after meeting standards; Numbers will leave you in SHOCK

New Delhi: A recent study published in Lancet Planetary Health highlights the severe impact of PM 2.5 pollution levels on mortality in 10 major Indian cities: Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Shimla, and Varanasi. The report indicates that approximately 33,000 deaths annually in these cities are attributable to PM 2.5 pollution, which exceeds the WHO guideline of 15 micrograms per cubic meter. This is significantly lower than the Indian national standard for PM 2.5, set at 60 micrograms per cubic meter.

🧵: Excited to share a new paper published this AM in @TheLancetPlanet on the impacts of short-term air pollution exposure on deaths across 10 cities in India. This is the first such multi-city study in India and includes cities where this has never been studied before! (1/n) pic.twitter.com/xkUXbvDSm1

— Bhargav Krishna (@bhargavkrishna) July 4, 2024

Crucial revelations

The study revealed that air pollution can cause deaths even at levels below the national standard. Delhi recorded the highest proportion of deaths attributable to air pollution, with 11.5% of all deaths, amounting to 12,000 annually. Varanasi followed, with 10.2% of all deaths (830 annually) due to PM 2.5 exposure exceeding the WHO guideline. Even in cities like Chennai, Bengaluru, and Shimla, which generally meet the national standard, the study estimated significant impacts: 4.8% of all deaths (2,100 annually) in Chennai, 4.9% (2,900 annually) in Bengaluru, and 3.7% (59 annually) in Shimla.

What do the authors convey?

The higher mortality rates in cities like Delhi, Varanasi, and Kolkata are attributed to higher average exposure levels and possibly the nature of pollution sources and population density. The study emphasizes and places a mirror in front of the authorities that even cities with relatively low pollution levels are experiencing significant health impacts due to air pollution. The authors stressed that the purpose of the study was not to compare the number of deaths but to highlight the health impacts of air pollution across various cities.