Premature Deaths due to Air Pollution: Study

Premature Deaths due to Air Pollution: Study

News:

1. According to a recent study, air pollution is the principal reason for high number of premature deaths in 11 North Indian cities

Important Facts:

2. The study titled ‘Know what you breathe’ has been conducted jointly by IIT-Delhi and Centre for Environment and Energy Development (CEED)
3. The study was conducted in 11 cities: Allahabad, Kanpur, Lucknow, Meerut, Varanasi and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, Patna, Gaya, and Muzaffarpur in Bihar and Ranchi in Jharkhand
4. The study calculated annual mortality burden. It used averages of recorded deaths caused due to: i) Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), ii) Acute Lower Respiratory Infection (ALRI), iii) Coronary Disease, iv) Stroke and v) Lung Cancer
5. Major Findings of the Study:

• Mean annual ambient PM2.5 concentration: 75-120%. This is higher the Indian annual air quality standard in the 10 of the 11 cities.
• Level of PM2.5 exposure has been moving downward from west to east of the Indo-Gangetic plain.
•  Highest increase of PM2.5 in Varanasi- Increase of 28.5 microgram / m3 in last 17 years
• Annual particular matter exposure: Highest in Meerut (99.2 ug/M3)followed by Agra and Lucknow
• Sources of annual ambient PM2.5 concentration: residential (73.8%) followed by industry, transport and energy sectors
• Annual Mortality Linked to Air pollution: 150-300 persons/ lakh population
• The highest number of premature deaths/year: Kanpur (4,173) followed by Lucknow, Agra, Meerut, Varanasi, Allahabad and Gorakhpur
• Largest cause of mortality burden: COPD (29.7%)
• Lowest cause of mortality burden: Lung cancer (0.6%)
• ALRI largest cause of mortality burden in Agra and Meerut; COPD in other cities

6. According to the report, the achievement of Indian air quality standards in these 11 cities would reduce premature mortality burden by 14-28% annually