The city breathed bad air throughout the month of January. An analysis of the Air Quality Index (AQI) by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) shows that the air in Mumbai was in ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ category throughout the month barring one day when it was categorised as ‘satisfactory’. Persistently breathing poor quality air not only heightens the risk of respiratory ailments but it can also trigger major health problems, including heart diseases and chronic lung issues.
According to SAFAR, 13 days in January were in the ‘very poor’, 9 in ‘poor’, and 8 in the ‘moderate’ category. This was worse than January 2018 when 18 days were in the ‘poor’ and 13 in the ‘moderate’ category. “This year, January was relatively colder with more calm wind days. Moreover, construction activities of digging have significantly increased this year as compared to last year,” Gufran Beig, SAFAR’s programme director, said.
The AQI is calculated based on the ambient concentration values of the air pollutants and their likely health impacts known as health breakpoints. These values have been evolved for eight pollutants: particulate matter of 10 microns (PM10), particulate matter of 2.5 microns (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), ammonia (NH3), and lead (Pb). The AQI is categorised in six categories: good, satisfactory, moderate, poor, very poor and severe. The analysis provided by SAFAR specifically looked at the particulate matter of 2.5 microns (PM2.5), which are the finest particles that can go deep into the body and cause severe health risks.
“Particulate matter are fine particles that are released from any kind of pollution activity like burning, vehicular emissions, construction work, dusting etc. The PM10 particles manage to reach the airways while the PM2.5, which are even finer, penetrate deep into the lungs and cause havoc of allergic reactions,” Dr. Sneha Limaye, Chest Research Foundation (CRF) in Pune, said.
Due to the dip in temperature, particles settle down for a longer time. Experts say it gets worse for people who are already battling with lung diseases and poor respiratory health. Precautionary measures like using masks while stepping out don’t help either. “If one is using a mask, it should be like the N95 mask that can block the finer particles. People can also opt to travel in air-conditioned vehicles, while planting more air-purifying indoor plants and having air purifiers in offices and homes can help. Though not everyone can take these measures, there are no other options to escape the air,” Dr. Limaye said.
