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EARTH & ENERGY
Beware: Don’t breathe the city air!
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Don’t take air pollution lightly, warn the experts, for it is becoming a growing health hazard in our country. A look by MYTHILI G. NIRVAN
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Modern horrors: Motor vehicles have made life comfortable but at a heavy price
Few know that air pollution is a serious health hazard in our country today. It may sound alarming, but experts say that continuous exposure to air pollution can be very harmful to health and can even prove fatal in some cases.
Sources and level of air pollution vary from place to place. In the cities, two-wheelers, cars and buses as well as industry and construction may cause air pollution. While rapid urbanisation and industrialisation are the causes of air pollution in the cities, in the rural areas air pollution is caused by cooking and heating with wood, crop residues, dung cakes and dust from cars driving on dirt or gravel roads.
“Small particles and harmful gases are released from these sources. Major air pollutants are Particulate matter (SPM, PM10 and PM2.5), carbon monoxide (CO), sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and ozone (O3),” apprises Uma Rajarathnam, Head-Environment Practice at Enzen Global Solutions, an energy and environment consulting firm.
“Some air pollutants are directly released from combustion sources. Others such as ozone are secondary pollutants formed in the atmosphere through chemical reaction. Ozone is formed from pollutants emitted from vehicular exhaust in the presence of sunlight and humidity,” explains Peter Wink, Managing Director, Mann And Hummel Filter Pvt. Ltd India, a German subsidiary dealing with air and liquid filters and filtration systems.
Air pollution and health
The extent to which an individual is affected by air pollution usually depends on the total exposure to the pollutants i.e., the duration of exposure and the concentration of the pollutant.
Says Uma, “Air pollution has both short-term and long-term effects. Examples of the former include irritation in the eyes, nose and throat, and upper respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia. Other symptoms can include headaches, nausea and allergic reactions. Short-term air pollution can aggravate the medical condition of individuals with asthma and emphysema. Long-term health effects can include chronic respiratory disease, lung cancer, heart disease, and even damage to the brain, nerves, liver, or kidneys!”
Of course, different groups of individuals are affected by air pollution in different ways. Young children and elderly people are more vulnerable to the effects of air pollution. Continual exposure to air pollution affects the lungs of growing children and may aggravate or complicate medical conditions in the elderly.
People with health problems such as asthma, heart and lung disease may suffer more when the air is polluted. Ozone level, for instance, increases during the day time and is known to aggravate asthma. Dust particles from emissions can penetrate lungs and trigger respiratory disorders.
Air pollutants can indirectly affect health through acid rain or global warming and associated climate change and sea level rise.
Is Bangalore more vulnerable?
The city of Bangalore has witnessed rapid growth in vehicular population, real estate construction and other commercial activities in the past two decades. Existing roads and infrastructure have not been adequate to handle this rapid growth.
“About two million vehicles registered in Bangalore ply on its roads. Annual consumption of diesel and petrol is in the range of 4,50,000 and 2,50,000 tonnes respectively. Particulate matter concentration exceed the permissible limit for most of the monitoring days in a year, exposing six million people to unhealthy levels of air pollution,” says Uma.
Pollens and other bio allergens also increase asthma and respiratory problems. Bangalore being known for gardens, pollens and other aero allergens are high. Levels and type of aero allergens in the atmosphere vary from season to season. In Bangalore, pollens from flowering trees are high from January to April and weeds’ level increases from November to January.
What is the solution?
Both outdoor and indoor air pollution are of huge concern. Without stringent policy measures, the present situation is likely to continue or become worse. “To control this situation we need more aggressive action to control air pollution particularly in transport-related emissions. Road infrastructure needs to be improved with strengthening of public transport system,” advises Uma.
“We also need to increase awareness among people in the cities about car pooling, proper maintenance of vehicles for emission tests and checking of relevant filters,” adds Peter Wink.
In the rural areas, promoting the use of LPG will reduce dependence on biomass fuel. Industries also need to adopt clean technology and other measures which can help in controlling air pollution.
If every individual makes an effort, together we can contribute towards giving our children clean and pollution-free air to breathe!
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