Why those early morning walks are a hazard for you

More harm than good CPCB data shows pollution levels are at their worst during morning hours

- Jasjeev Gandhiok

NEW DELHI: The early morning walk, often lauded as a cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle, could be doing more harm than good during Delhi's pollution season.

Stepping out during the early hours may expose you to dangerously high levels of pollution, putting you at risk of respiratory and cardiac problems both in the short and long term, experts warned.

Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) highlights this risk, showing that pollution levels—specifically PM2.5 concentrations—are at their worst during the early morning hours. The average PM2.5 exposure at 5am since November 1 was 244µg/m3, and at 7am, it was 232µg/m3.

These figures are nearly four times the national safe standard of 60µg/m3.

PM2.5 refers to airborne particles that are 2.5 microns or smaller in diameter, capable of entering the lungs and even the bloodstream.

Prolonged exposure to PM2.5 has been linked to a range of health issues, including respiratory infections, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer.

Even short-term exposure at high levels can cause symptoms like breathlessness, coughing, headaches, sore throat, and eye irritation.

Doctors emphasise that exercising outdoors in poor air conditions can amplify the harmful effects of pollution on the body.