Deadly Air! 106 Deaths Per Lakh Population In Delhi Caused Due To PM2.5 Pollution, Claims Study

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The Logical Indian Crew

Deadly Air! 106 Deaths Per Lakh Population In Delhi Caused Due To PM2.5 Pollution, Claims Study

In 2019, Delhi reported an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 110 micrograms per cubic metre, which was the highest among the most populated cities on Earth, closely followed by Kolkata (84 micrograms per cubic metre).

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Indian cities in Delhi and Kolkata reported 106 and 99 deaths per 1 lakh population during 2019, which might attribute to PM2.5 pollution, as per a new study released by the US-based Health Effects Institute on August 17.

In 2019, the national capital reported an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 110 micrograms per cubic metre, which was the highest among the most populated cities on Earth, closely followed by Kolkata (84 micrograms per cubic metre), revealed the report by the State of Global Air Initiative, a collaboration between the Institute for Health Metrics, the Health Effects Institute and Evaluation's Global Burden of Disease project.

The report "Air Quality and Health in Cities" summarises statistics on air pollution exposures and related health effects in 7,239 cities (with a population of at least 50,000) between 2010 and 2019.

What's The Study?

It integrates ground-based air quality statistics with models and satellites to create air quality estimates for cities worldwide.

Furthermore, PM2.5 indicates fine particles (measuring 2.5 µm or under in diameter) that pierce deep into the body and fuel inflammation in the respiratory tract and lungs, causing possibilities of having cardiovascular and respiratory issues, which also include a weak immune system.

In 2019, China's Beijing had the highest PM2.5-attributable death rate of 124. In that list, Delhi and Kolkata were ranked sixth and eighth, respectively as well. The report also claimed that the burden on the health of PM2.5 had proliferated in Southeast Asia cities.

"Of 7,239 cities analysed, all the 20 cities with the largest increase in PM2.5-attributable death rates from 2010 to 2019 are located in Southeast Asia, including 19 cities in Indonesia and one in Malaysia. All 20 cities reported an increase of more than 10 micrograms per cubic metre in PM2.5 exposures in 2019 compared with 2010," the study was quoted as saying by a report in The New Indian Express.

Impact Of Air Pollution!

A total of 1.7 million deaths linked to PM2.5 exposure occurred during 2019 in 7,239 cities, with cities in Africa, Asia, and Eastern and Central Europe seeing the most significant health impacts.

The report also reveals geographic patterns of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution are massively different from the patterns reported for PM2.5 pollution.

Furthermore, PM2.5 pollution tends to be the most in cities in middle or low-income nations, whereas NO2 levels are usually high in large cities across nations of all income levels.

Almost all of the most populous cities (81 out of 103 cities) reported NO2 exposures higher than the global average of 15.5 micrograms per cubic metre.

Also Read: FIR Against Influencer Bobby Kataria In Delhi After Video Showed Him Smoking Inside Plane

Contributors Suggest Correction
Writer : Snehadri Sarkar
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Editor : Shiva Chaudhary
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Creatives : Snehadri Sarkar

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