Oxygen is one of the most vital sources of living. So imagine what would happen if the air we breathe became almost lethal in the next 35 years.
The World Health Organization recently released new data on the air quality and pollution in 1,600 cities, in over 91 different countries across the world.
According to the method in which air pollution is measured, the top ten most air polluted cities in the world are: India's Delhi, Patna, Gwalior, Raipur, Ahmedabad and Lucknow; Pakistan's Karachi, Peshawar and Rawalpindi; and Khorramabad in Iran. Six of these cities are located in India.
The most harmful pollutant to human health is called PM 2.5 (Particle Matter 2.5). This matter is found in soot, smoke and dust. When these particles are inhaled, they are lodged into the lungs, eventually leading to asthma and lung disease.
To determine when the level of PM 2.5 initiates a problem, 35.5 micrograms of PM 2.5 must exist per cubic meter. Those cities considered to be the most polluted in the world, exceed up to 15 times that amount.
A study published in the journal Nature, found that air pollution kills approximately 3.3 million people per year, the majority taking place in Asia. This number, however, could double by the year 2050 if improvements are not made to air quality.
Simply put, if you currently live in a largely populated metropolitan in India, your body is consuming dangerous levels of air pollution on a daily basis.
Gizmodo recently reported that this past summer's heat wave in India, with temperatures soaring to 118 degrees, had a huge impact on the air quality. The country as a whole also has a number of other contributing factors: overly crowded cities, booming industrialization, unchecked vehicle emissions and the widespread burning of garbage.
But exacty how dangerous is India's air?
An unprecedented study, by the Kolkata-based Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, found the following:
- In lung tests conducted on 5,718 students, 43.5 per cent suffered from “poor or restrictive lungs."
- About 15 per cent of the children surveyed complained of frequent eye irritation, 27.4 per cent of frequent headache, 11.2 per cent of nausea, 7.2 per cent of palpitations and 12.9 per cent of fatigue.
The conclusion is nothing less than shocking. Why is India more susceptible to air pollution and what can society do as a whole to improve the future health of this country? Leave your comments below.
Main Image Photo Credit: Vox
Nicole Singh
Author
Nicole is a bilingual professional with a journalism background who adores everything to do with fashion, culture, and Bollywood. She always had a passion for writing since a young age and decided to follow that dream. She has a sense of working in the field through news publications writt...
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