Air quality in Delhi

plunges againCONTEXT: Residents of Delhi woke up to grey skies as air pollution readings reached ‘severe’ levels again after a few days of relatively cleaner air last week.The Air Quality Index (AQI):The Air Quality Index (AQI) for Delhi was recorded 426 at 4 p.m. by the Central Pollution Control Board (CBCB), up from 171, which was ‘moderate’, last week. Levels of particulate matter also shot up to around four times the standard.Key Parameters:

According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) index,

the 24- hour rolling average level of PM10 at 9 p.m. was 412 micrograms per cubic metre, over four times the standard of 100. Similarly, the fine particulate matter, PM2.5, was recorded at 299, almost five times the standard of 60.In a statement, SAFAR said there had been a “significant intrusion of bio-mass (stubble) generated pollution” on Monday. However, the air quality was forecast to go down to very poor on Tuesday, a day before Diwali.Meanwhile, environmentalists stressed the need to reduce emissions, particularly vehicular pollution — power plants, construction etc. — had been curbed, vehicles had not been touched.

Concerns:With firecrackers on Diwali expected to increase pollution this week, doctors braced for a potential rush of patients. Recent studies have indicated that exposure to particulate air pollution may be associated with acute heart attack.“Doctors are gearing up for increased patient flow during Diwali.They added that short-term particulate exposure contributed to acute coronary events (heart attack) in patients with underlying coronary artery disease. PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 are risk factors of all-cause, cardiovascular, stroke, respiratory, and COPD mortality. PM1 accounts for the vast majority of short-term PM2.5- and PM10-induced mortality. Smaller size fractions of PM have a more toxic mortality impact.Studies have shown that there is increasing evidence for the role of environment in pathogenesis in many diseases. Children below five years of age and adults older than 50 years are most at risk. A global assessment of the burden of disease from environmental risks by the World Health

Organisation has shown that 23% of global deaths and 26% of deaths among children under five are due to modifiable environmental factors.