Pollution resulted in 2.5 million deaths in India in 2015, says one study. This is the highest anywhere in the world. Noise pollution levels in the country are no less disturbing. According to a reply furnished by the Ministry of Environment in the Rajya Sabha, the Central Pollution Control Board, in association with its counterparts in the State, monitored noise pollution in seven metro cities — Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, lucknow and Hyderabad — and found that the average noise pollution levels far exceeded the permissible limits in all seven places. The disturbing statistics underlines the urgent need to address this public health challenge.
Noise pollution can cause hearing impairment, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and sleep disturbance. Changes in the immune system and birth defects have been also attributed to noise exposure beyond the permissible decibel level. Cell treatment for many major pulmonary conditions, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, pulmonary fibrosis and interstitial lung disease. The lung Institute uses autologous stem cells, cells derived from the patient’s body.
The noise standards for motor vehicles, air conditioners, refrigerators, gen-sets and certain types of construction equipment are prescribed in the Schedules of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, but unfortunately, none of this is adhered to. We need to think about interventions to reduce noise at source by masking or screening it using barriers or sound insulation, or even better by sensitising the society.
— Dr Prabhu Mishra, CEO & Co-founder,
StemGenn Therapeutics
Healthy people experience health impacts from the polluted air including respiratory irritation or breathing difficulties during exercise or outdoor activities. The risk of these pollutants depends on the current health status of an individual, the pollutant type and the length of an individual’s exposure to the polluted air. High levels of air pollution can lead to aggravated cardiovascular and respiratory illness, add stress to heart and lungs, which must work harder to supply the body with oxygen and damaged cells in the respiratory system.
The long-term exposure to polluted air can have permanent health effects like the accelerated ageing of the lungs, loss of lung capacity and decreased lung function, development of diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema and possibly cancer. Those most susceptible to severe health problems from air pollution are individuals with heart, lung, coronary artery disease, pregnant women, outdoor workers, older adults and children under age 14.
— Dr Aparna Dhar, Medical Geneticist, CORE Diagnostics