Air Pollution: Health Impacts & Solutions

This assignment analyzes the serious health consequences of both indoor and outdoor air pollution in India. It highlights the link between air pollution from biomass cooking fuels, vehicles, and industries to various health problems, particularly affecting infants, elderly individuals, and women. The text emphasizes the need for government action, citing existing initiatives like vehicular emission standards, CNG adoption, and biogas promotion. Further, it stresses the importance of more epidemiological studies and addressing data gaps to effectively combat air pollution in India.

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The challenge of air pollution
Air pollution is the major environmental health issue in India which is affecting the health of
Indians badly. It occurs when the harmful chemicals, biological or physical agents are
contaminated in the environment and modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere.
Motor vehicles, forest fires, stoves at home and industrial facilities are a common source of air
pollution (2). Inside and outside the people’s home air pollution is the world’s single largest
environmental health risk. In India, the major source of air pollution in residential places is
smoke from tobacco and solid fuels with inefficient and leaky cooking stoves (2). Mostly sources
in the external environment are beyond the control of human beings, therefore, it demands action
from international and national policymakers in areas like clean energy for cooking and other
domestic needs, energy waste management, transport, buildings, and agriculture (2).
Health and air pollution
Pollutants like carbon mono-oxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter and sulphur dioxide are
the major public health concerns. Both outdoor and indoor pollution causes respiratory problems
leading to heart strokes, and respiratory illness, stress to heart and lungs which in turn reduces
the supply of oxygen, damaged cells in the respiratory system (1). There are many permanent
health problems due to long term exposure to polluted air like the accelerated aging of the lungs,
life span shortened, decrease in lung capacity, asthma, bronchitis, cancer. Infants and pregnant
women are mostly affected by the pollution (1). Every particle present in the air has a different
impact on health like exposure to SO2 higher incidence of shortness of breath, cough, cold and
long duration of fatigue. NO2 causes respiratory diseases like chronic fibrosis and bronchitis.
Particulate matter present in air can spread poison among the whole blood circulation leading to
heart strokes and failure of the respiratory system. Very fine particles enter the human body and
cause severe lifelong diseases. There is various other particles present which is equally harmful
to human body and it is very much essential for the government and other regulatory bodies to
take the corrective measures and form policies to td deal with the problem (1). A majority of
cities are under the severe particulate pollution and government should act fast as the gathered
evidence across the country indicates that it requires a leapfrog agenda to deal with the public
health crises due to increased air pollution. India is in need to make strong policy interventions to
start the research in the field of air pollution criteria for air quality regulation must be health
based (3). Although there are not too many researches which examine the level of adverse health
impact due to air pollution in India there is evidence are there from sporadic studies in various
cities which bears out the public health challenge and need to consider the emerging information
of air pollution into the policymaking process (3).
Research analysis of air pollution
As per the current research conducted to identify the level of air pollution across India, it has
been observed that under NAMP there three major pollutants PM10, SO2, and NO2 which has
been identified for regular monitoring across the country. The permissible level of PM10, SO2

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and NO2 are 60, 50 and 40 ug/m3, other parameters like PM25, ammonia, lead is gradually
being added up to the monitoring network of NAMP. More than 80% cities violate the PM10 (4).
In 2015 alone, 8 million deaths were attributed in India due to indoor and outdoor air pollution.
As per the Global Burden Study, it was found that there are essentially five different kinds of
health issues that are the reasons behind the number of death. Deaths due to pollution western
pacific and middle income countries are maximum in the world followed by Africa and South
East Asia (4). All over the world Indian cities are the most populated and as per various studies,
outdoor air pollution causes approximately 6, 70,000 deaths annually (6). A periodic review of
epidemiological evidence asks policymakers to set the agenda for current increasing health risk
due to air pollution and also finds a balance between the costs of implementing air pollution
controls and reducing health impacts. The analysis also shows an interesting finding which says
that few cities in India like Ahmadabad and Mumbai have comparatively lesser death rates in
spite of being the highest amongst the polluted cities. PM10 is 0.16% in Ahmedabad and 0.22%
in Mumbai (6). The research shows that pollutant concentrations are very high in the air and
increasing day by day, causing many health problems to infants, old age people, and pregnant
ladies. Government and other regulatory bodies must modify their existing policies and focus on
reduction of these pollutants in the air.
Significance of research
Various cities of India shows an increase in the ambient air pollution which significantly
increases morbadility amongst children that is it increases the likelihood of the child suffering
cough and fever, however, cooking gas used in households does not affect child morbidity as
many accounting measures have been taken by the government to control the pollution rate. But
in few places in India indoor pollution mainly usage of cooking gas is still the riskiest leading to
severe health problems, especially amongst adult women. The research says that among rural
cities 80% household still uses these coking stoves, whereas urban cities have started using
LPG.it has been estimated that around 2.5 out of 5.7 million cases of Bronchitis and 0.2 out of
0.82 million stillbirths across India are affected by households air pollution due to biomass
cooking fuel (4). Using 2013/14 district survey it has been identified that kerosene oil and biogas
are related to stillbirths’ cases among women (4). Outdoor air pollution is also the major concern
as the studies show that increasing number of vehicles and industries in residential areas are the
main cause of pollution and it should be regulated by the governing bodies (5). All the comes as
a result of various research done on air pollution shows that government must focus on both
indoor and outdoor air pollution. Various corrective measures must be taken as it is affecting
badly the three segments of the population which are infants, old age people, and women (4).
Recommendations
There is an urgent need to take corrective measures to control the indoor as well as outdoor air
pollution. In order to improve the quality of air and reduce the burden of disease, several
interventions have been done by India (5). To reduce vehicle pollution CPCB set vehicular
emission standards for both petrol and diesel driven vehicles in the year 2000 which was later

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revised in 2013 (5). Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) has been introduced in many cities and
heavy duty vehicles still come in the category of BS-III standards all over the country (5). To
control the indoor air pollution through clean energy access, the government has introduced
many schemes in which people living below poverty line can easily avail the facilities and they
are also being made aware of the schemes. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
(MNRE) is promoting the setting up of plants of biogas across all the states and union territories
(5). The issue of affordability, poor awareness level, and acceptability has been a major issue
causing air pollution, the government has on the supply side, distribution and pricing varies
across geographical areas(7). More epidemiological studies should be taken up to know how
household air pollution is affecting the health of poor people. Quantification of the impact of the
data provides the insightful of the problem to push and can act as the benchmark to understand
the need of particular tools for air quality monitoring. These data gaps must be addressed
strongly and immediately in order to provide the accurate data so that basis on which corrective
measures will be taken and policies will be formed and implemented (5). These gaps would also
hinder the further research into the matter and would limit the understanding of trends in
pollutants concentration levels and spread of disease.

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References
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3. Vimercati L. Traffic related air pollution and respiratory morbidity. Lung India.
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4. Joon V, Chandra A. Household Air Pollution from Cooking Fuels: An Environmental and
Public Health Challenge. Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution.
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5. Mesjasz-Lech A. Urban Air Pollution Challenge for Green Logistics. Transportation
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Health Outcomes”. Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health. 2012;5(1):1-1.