More than 1.5 million people die annually in India due to prolonged exposure to air pollution and high levels of PM2.5 – fine solid particles less than 2.5 microns in diameter that can penetrate deep into the respiratory system and cause health problems.
According to Oxu.Az, this is mentioned in a new study published in the journal *The Lancet Planetary Health*.
Scientists have found that all of India’s 1.4 billion people are breathing poor air quality, with PM2.5 levels well above World Health Organization (WHO) recommended limits.
A group of researchers from Ashoka University and the Center for Chronic Disease Control in New Delhi found that 82% of India’s population lives in areas where PM2.5 levels exceed national air quality standards (40 micrograms per meter cube).
The researchers also calculated that an annual increase in PM2.5 levels of 10 micrograms per cubic meter is associated with an 8.6% increase in the annual death rate. “High levels of PM2.5 in India are causing a significant number of deaths, affecting not only urban areas. A systemic approach is needed, not a symptomatic one,” said Suganti Jagannathan, representative of the research group.
The study also highlighted the urgent need for the government to take long-term measures to improve air quality across the country and tighten regulations to meet WHO standards.
Every year in the months of November and December, many regions of India, including New Delhi, experience a sudden deterioration in air quality. This phenomenon occurs after harvesting crops, when farmers, despite prohibitions, burn large amounts of dry grass. Smoke and soot cover residential areas in the plains. According to Indian researchers, inhaling this air is equivalent to smoking 50 cigarettes a day. Doctors recommend that residents avoid going outside as much as possible or use protective masks.
