Short-term exposure to PM2.5 pollution causing 33,000 deaths annually in 10 Indian cities: Study

Short-term exposure to air pollution levels that meet India’s prescribed safety standards is causing 33,000 human deaths per year in 10 cities, a new study in the journal Lancet Planetary Health has found.

The cities are Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Shimla and Varanasi.

A significant number of deaths were observed in cities with relatively low levels of air pollution, such as Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Chennai, the study noted.

Conducted between 2008 and 2019, it is the first study in India to assess the link between short-term air pollution exposure and mortality across cities with diverse environments.

The researchers relied on data obtained from death registries in the 10 cities for periods of three to seven years, analysing over 3.6 million deaths between 2008 and 2019. They also used data from air quality monitors, satellites, meteorological instruments and other sources to find out the cities’ exposure to PM2.5 pollutants, in volume and over time.

PM2.5 refers to respirable airborne particulate matter not more than 0.0025 mm in width.

India’s National Ambient Air Quality Standards prescribe a “safe” PM2.5 limit of 60 μg/m3 (micrograms per cubic metre of air) over a 24-hour period. The World Health Organization prescribes 15 μg/m3.

“We found that 7.2% of all deaths across all 10 cities could be linked...

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