PM2.5 Pollution: A Silent Killer in India's Major Cities

A study published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal reveals that 7.2% of daily deaths in India's largest and most polluted cities are linked to PM2.5 levels above WHO guidelines. Delhi shows the highest mortality rates due to these fine particles, primarily from vehicular and industrial emissions.

A groundbreaking study published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal has highlighted a significant public health crisis. The study reveals that an average of 7.2 per cent of daily deaths in ten of India's most polluted cities, including Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai, are linked to PM2.5 levels exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for safe exposure.

Delhi has emerged as the city with the highest fraction of both daily and yearly deaths attributable to PM2.5 air pollution. These fine particles, sized 2.5 micrometres or less, predominantly stem from vehicular and industrial emissions. Researchers found a 1.4 per cent increase in daily mortality with a 10 micrograms per cubic metre rise in PM2.5 levels measured over two days.

The study also discovered that cities like Bengaluru, Chennai, and Shimla, which have lower concentrations of air pollution, show stronger causal links between daily exposure to these pollutants and mortality rates. The research spanned from 2008 to 2019 and analyzed approximately 36 lakh daily deaths across ten major Indian cities.

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