The Truth About India’s Air Pollution: A Global Threat

Every year, the pollution level upsurges as winter landto the nation and this year, as per the reports, was recorded the worst ever in many cities. Inauspiciously, the apportioning took place this season. Rather than focusing on an acrimonious polemic charge, it’s important to take effective actions necessary to lay down the impact of pollutants.

Those who are involved in it can’t remain unaware of its consequences, particularly the effects on everyone’s health.

The least serious effects on health may result in breathlessness, coughing, sneezing, and constriction inside the chest, allergy, and aggravation of asthma.Serious conditions may give rise to various problems related to respiration and cardiac infections.

Before we point out anyone, there is something basic we need to understand, let’s jump into the pollutants give rise to blame game.

Some critical pollutants are as under:

1. Particulate matter (PM) – one bin with all PM below 10?m (PM10) and one bin with all PM below 2.5?m (PM2.5)
2. Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
3. Carbon monoxide (CO)
4. Ozone (O3)
5. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) – nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2)

The chemical composition of PM 2.5 is a source of different gaseous components. For example, SO2 is termed as sulfate aerosols, NOxis termed as nitrate aerosols, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and it goes under various chemical phases with ozone, NOx and CO, gives rise to another organic aerosol (SOA).

Simply, we need to have our main focus on PM 2.5 if you wish to find the pollution sources to address the air quality situation in Delhi, the capital city of India.

PM 10 and PM 2.5 are quite different

PM 10 aerosols are under 10?m diameter, PM2.5 all aerosols under 2.5?m diameter.PM 2.5 is a subdivision of PM 10 and the ratio may vary from city to city and source to source.

Maximum PM 2.5 pollution is combustion based

Like more than 95% emission takes place from diesel, petrol, and natural gas burning, open waster burning gives rise to pollution, biomass burning causes pollution, coal burning, cook stoves and boilers gives rise to PM 2.5

Maximum PM 10 pollution comes from mechanical processes

Here are some examples like dust on roads due to continuous vehicle traffic, construction sites, and seasonal dust storms. 80% of the dust gives rise to a size between PM 2.5 and PM 10. It becomes a reason for the presence of more dust when PM 10 samplescompared to PM 2.5.

Severe effects of pollution on health

• The continuous effects of

air pollution give rise to heart diseases like heart attack and various other health hazards. Such heart complications may give rise to mortality; it means results in a serious health implication.

• According to the reports, individuals living in the high-polluted regions remain at a risk and may suffer from serious heart troubles comparison to the people living inthe low polluted areas.
• It is observed that 43% of the people are more susceptibleand give rise to a second heart attack or congestive heart failure and 46% have a risk of suffering from stroke.
• Another bigger impact of air pollution is the people exposed to the high level of pollution may die within a time period of 20 years of their first heart attack in comparison who are not exposed or exposed to the low pollution level.

So what can we do? Maximumtime, it has been observed that causes of air-pollution are rooted in men’s behavior. No doubt, government, and individuals are all playing their roles and it is necessary to take important measures.

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