AGRA: A recent study by experts from University of Massachusetts, IIT-Bombay and Desert Research Institute in the US points out that the amount of air pollution exposure data available in India is largely inadequate. And considering the growing urbanisation and other factors that are exposing more people to polluted air, efforts should be made to study the impact of pollutants on the general public to have better policy guidelines, the study said.
Air pollution is a global environmental burden, and has been identified as a significant public health risk. Human exposure to ambient (outdoor) air pollution (AAP) and household air pollution (HAP) are important risk factors for morbidity and mortality, particularly in developing countries, the report said.
The study done by Pallavi Pant (University of Massachusetts), Sarath K Guttikunda (Institute of Climate Studies, Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai) and Richard E Peltier (Division of Atmospheric Sciences, Desert Research Institute, USA) and accepted by the Environmental Research journal for publication stated that particulate matter PM10 concentrations in India often exceed the national air quality standards. In 2010, 140 out of 176 cities were found to exceed the PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) standard values.
The study said that in India, more than 50% of the population lives in areas where ambient PM2.5 levels exceed the annual PM2.5 (40 mg/m3) Indian National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) and only less than 0.01% of the population lives in areas that meet the WHO PM2.5 guideline of 10 mg/m3. This is in stark contrast to Europe, where only 10-14% of the population lives in areas that exceed the European PM2.5 guideline value (25 mg/m3).
In India, the Global Burden of Disease study (2010) identified both AAP and HAP as key risk factors in terms of disease for the Indian population. Nearly 100,000 premature deaths in India are linked to air pollution exposure. In Delhi alone, between 7,350 and 16,200 premature deaths have been attributed to PM exposure.
Stating various health hazards of high PM levels, the report said a clear understanding of pollution exposure concentrations and trends and associated health effects will not only help improve the quality of life of Indian citizens, but also help improve the field of exposure science.
“Data from developed countries is not readily translatable in the Indian context due to differences in source types, as well as lifestyle. Much of the research has focused on large cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata), and there is little ambient or indoor pollution data for smaller cities and towns. Characterisation of pollutant concentrations in urban areas is important since smaller cities and towns often lack public transportation options, and in many cases, fuel quality is poor. Due to haphazard urban growth, a large number of people live in close proximity to mobile, as well as point, pollution sources, increasing the risk of exposure to harmful pollutants,” Pant said.
The report said most of the available data is focused on coarse PM (PM10 or PM5), and there is little information on the exposure to fine and ultra-fine PM. However, the most significant health effects are associated with fine particles, and there is a need for greater focus on characterisation of exposure to fine and ultra-fine particles, especially in urban micro-environments. Additionally, several unique sources (for example, waste burning, construction emissions) are poorly characterised or not characterised at all. Studies characterising public health impacts associated with air pollution are limited in number, as well as scope. There are no detailed analyses on various indoor sources (apart from solid fuel combustion) in India and how the concentrations might vary across households with different median income levels.
One of the recommendations was that assessment of exposure to air pollution without taking into account variables such as gender and socio-economic status can lead to skewed understanding of such exposure. Thus, future research should be based on a holistic framework which considers scientific and social aspects linked to air pollution exposure.
"In 2015, PM Narendra Modi launched the 'smart city' initiative. It is imperative that development plans for such cities, including consideration for breathable cities with clean air — for example, a comprehensive assessment of exposure levels in different transport modes — can also be helpful in making policy decisions, such as bicycle lane planning or the choice of fuel for public transport so as to minimise exposure to pollutants," Pant said.
