Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution, a significant environmental and health hazard across India, has claimed a staggering 1.5 million lives reported annually between 2009 and 2019, as per a recent study published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal.
Highlighting the severe health impacts of toxic pollutants on the citizens, researchers found that the entire 1.4 billion population of the country lives in areas with PM2.5 levels exceeding the WHO recommended threshold of five micrograms per cubic meter for a yearly average.
The study by the Consortium for Climate, Health, and Air Pollution Research in India (CHAIR-India) also highlighted that nearly 82 per cent of the population, or about 1.1 billion people, resided in regions where the PM2.5 levels surpassed the Indian National Ambient Air Quality Standards, which set a limit of 40 microns per cubic meter annually.
PM2.5 refers to fine particulate matter measuring less than 2.5 microns in diameter, and exposure to these pollutants is linked to a range of health problems, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. PM2.5 air pollution comes from the burning of fossil fuels and biomass in sectors such as transportation, residential homes, coal-burning power plants, industrial activities, and wildfires. These emissions not only impact people’s health but also contribute to the greenhouse gases that are warming the planet.
The study observed a significant correlation between PM2.5 pollution levels and mortality rates, with a 10-micron per cubic meter increase in yearly pollution linked to an 8.6 per cent rise in annual deaths.
The researchers from CHAIR-India, a global consortium of academic institutions including Ashoka University, Karolinska Institutet (Sweden), Harvard University, and Ben-Gurion University (Israel) used data from satellite observations and over 1,000 ground-monitoring stations, and also gathered death statistics from the Civil Registration System.
The findings underscore the widespread nature of PM2.5 exposure across the country. While the lowest annual PM2.5 level recorded in Lower Subansiri district, Arunachal Pradesh, at 11.2 microns per cubic meter in 2019., the highest levels were recorded in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi, where PM2.5 concentrations soared to 119 microns per cubic meter in 2016.
The study reveals the pressing need for robust air quality monitoring and stricter pollution control measures in India, given the country’s large and consistent exposure to harmful air pollutants.
