PM2.5 exposure leads to 1.5mn deaths in India every yr

PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO HIGHER CONCENTRATION

- Rhythma Kaul

NEW DELHI: Long-term exposure to PM2.5 pollution concentrations higher than the World Health Organisation's (WHO) annual average guideline of 5 µg/m³ is potentially associated with 1.5 million deaths annually in India, according to a study published in The Lancet Planetary Health on Wednesday.

PM2.5, or fine particulate matter, refers to air particles with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less.

The study highlighted that India's entire population of 1.4 billion lives in areas where PM2.5 levels exceed WHO recommendations, with 81.9% (1.1 billion people) residing in regions where concentrations surpass the national air quality standard of 40 µg/m³.

The study supporting the association between long-term exposure to outdoor air pollution and deaths in India, however, is inconsistent with studies in other countries, the authors said.