With the rising concern of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) over increasing air pollution in the city, doctors have advised people to use masks when they are in an area loaded with vehicles.
According to them, the harmful effects of airborne particulate matter such as carbon, lead, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide can lead to fatal consequences. Dr Arup Kumar Basu, Senior Consultant in Department of Chest Medicine at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital said that the most lethal components in the air are carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide as lead is a heavy component and doesn’t stay in the atmosphere for long.
However, he added that each component has its own effect, which differs in age groups. Talking about the effects of carbon monoxide, he said that the worst affected were the elderly. He elaborated, “What carbon monoxide does is reduce the oxygen in blood as it dissolves in it. It also binds the haemoglobin. In the case of elders, the oxygen levels are already low, thus, there is more depletion that occurs.” Dr Vikas Maurya, consultant of respiratory medicine at BlK Super Speciality Hospital further added that this component caused equivalent damage as smoking.