Treat Air Pollution As Public Health Emergency

HE global mortality data associated with air pollution is staggering. The World Health Organization says air pollution is linked to one in nine deaths and 7 million premature deaths every year.

- DR RAVINDRA MEHTA

According to the State of Global Air 2024 report, air pollution caused 8.1 million deaths in 2021, making it the second most important risk for mortality, especially among children under five. Every year, 6.7 million people lose their lives prematurely due to the combined impact of poor indoor and outdoor air. Outdoor pollution accounted for 4.2 million of these deaths, primarily from cancer, respiratory infections and cardiovascular disorders.

Almost 90 percent of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries like India, which are disproportionately affected. In 2023, India was the second-most polluted country in the world. One of the key indices is particulate matter (PM), which is not a single pollutant, but a dangerous concoction of solids and aerosols. It contains inorganic ions, metallic and organic compounds and carbon. PM with a diameter of 10 microns or less (PM10) are inhalable and thus have serious health implications. Emissions from vehicles produce much of the PM2.5 found in outdoor air, as well as a significant proportion of PM10. Both of these induce tissue damage, lung inflammation and trigger DNA mutations leading to cancer.

Though it's not the only cause, vehicular emissions play a significant role in escalating air pollution. In the national capital, vehicular pollution accounted for 40 percent of PM2.5 emissions. In 2024, Delhi recorded an annual average PM2.5 level of 107 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³)—over two-and-a-half times the safe limit of 40 µg/m³.