- Impact of Air Pollution on Mortality Rates:
- According to a study published in Lancet Planet Health, a spike in air pollution in Indian cities with cleaner air may raise death rates more than in cities with higher pollution levels. For example, an increase in air pollution in Bengaluru can elevate death rates more significantly than in Delhi, despite Delhi’s higher background pollution levels.
- However, cities with high pollution loads saw a greater fraction of annual deaths attributable to air pollution, with 11.5% in Delhi and 4.8% in Bengaluru.
- Bengaluru’s population experienced 30% of the daily pollution exposure compared to Delhi residents.
- The study confirmed that mortality risk increased more quickly at lower PM 2.5 levels but plateaued as levels increased.
- Significantly, mortality risk remained very high (2.65%) even on days with PM 2.5 levels below the current Indian national air quality standard of 60 micrograms per cubic meter.
- Study Findings:
- Scientists analysed pollution and death registry data from 10 cities: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Shimla, and Varanasi.
- Nearly 30,000 deaths, or 7.2% of the annual deaths in these cities, were due to short-term PM 2.5 exposure.
- The study found that total daily deaths in these cities rose by 1.42% for every 10 micrograms per cubic meter increase in average PM 2.5 exposure over two days.
Dig Deeper: What are the current Indian National Air Quality standards for various pollutants?
