Moradabad: The air quality in Moradabad is plummeting at an alarming rate, according to an exhaustive study by a team of researchers from Hindu College here. In particular, respirable suspended particulate matter in the city air has reached 360 microgram per cubic metre, compared to the maximum permissible limit of 100 set by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
"The high concentration of RSPM in the air can cause major respiratory diseases like asthma, cancer and tuberculosis. The level of RSPM has been steadily increasing for the past five years," said AnamikaTripathi of the National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAAQMP), project co-ordinator, talking to TOI.
Research scholars involved in the survey collected samples through respirable dust machines which are installed at commercial, residential and industrial areas of the city. Air samples were taken from Police Training Centre (PTC), Buddh Bazar, Mughalpura, Nagfani and Daulatbagh. The results indicate that despite numerous studies ringing the alarm at repeated intervals, political inaction and administrative apathy has turned the air of the Brass City toxic and a major public health disaster is in the making.
"For the last five years, our research scholars have carried out the survey and sent the report to the ministry of environment and to the Central Pollution Control Board. The present study deals with the assessment of ambient air quality with respect to total suspended particulates (TSP), respirable suspended particulate matter (PM10), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) over a period of five years from September 2010 to August 2015," said Tripathi, who added that the main reason behind growing air pollution is the burning of e-waste and brass sheets inside the ghettos of the city.
"Although PTC appears to be a clean area, it falls under the moderate pollution category, with an index value of 68.78. This may be due to fossil fuel combustion at the outskirts of the parade grounds and burning of dry leaves inside the area," the researchers said. Buddh Bazar, which is a commercial area, falls under high air pollution category with RSPM found to be 200 microgram per cubic metre. This site near the railway station is extremely congested, resulting in slow movement of vehicles, long waits at the signals and a large number of vehicles running during the day and night.
"Mughalpura is an industrial area and has very high pollution levels, mainly due to industrial activity like brassware units. Five heavy metals — copper, zinc, iron, cadmium ad lead — were also observed at all the sites. Among the metals, highest concentration of zinc was recorded at almost all the sites, whereas copper and iron was found higher at industrial sites, possibly due to brassware units," Tripathi added. The highest level of RSPM was found at Nagfani, Mughalpura and Daulatbagh, at between 240 and 260 microgram per cubic metre.
"Soil samples collected from Nagfani and Daulatbagh areas were found carrying cadmium, zinc, lead, chromium and other metals, which cause serious hazards to the human body," said research scholar Mahima Singh, adding that the toxic substances in the air and easily enter the human body via the lungs, and then into the bloodstream.
