Air
Pollution is the single largest risk to our health, threatening to assume
draconic proportions and raining death all around! New studies reveal that air
pollution causes cardiovascular diseases including angina, ischemic heart
disease and strokes apart from causing respiratory disorders and obstructive
pulmonary diseases. Both indoor and outdoor air pollution are responsible for
these health issues.
The new
study links beyond doubt cancer to air pollution as well.
Air pollution is the introduction of
particulates, biological molecules, or other harmful materials into Earth's
atmosphere. Air pollutants can be classified mainly into primary
pollutants which have a direct impact on the atmosphere such as carbon
emissions or sulphur dioxide emissions from industrial smoke. Secondary
pollutants are caused by the chemical reactions of the primary pollutants, for
example to smog we see in our cities.
Outdoor air pollution is
increasing as a result of the inefficient combustion of fuels for transport,
power generation and other factors such as home heating and cooking. Combustion
processes produce a complex mixture of pollutants that comprises of diesel soot
particles and the lethal killer, Lead.
Urban outdoor air pollution is estimated to
cause 1.3 million deaths worldwide per year.Some main sources of pollution are burning of fossil fuel (Petroleum, wood, dung, oil stoves etc) which emits pollutants such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides. Carbon emission is linked with the process of incomplete burning of fossil fuel.
Other contributors are agricultural activities, industrial activities, mining operations and all emissions coming from domestic and indoor sources.
Pollution in cities is measured in terms of Suspended Particulate Matter in the air commonly known as SPM.
The pollution is further depleting
the Ozone layer which is necessary for the ecosystem of the earth, which due to
the gaseous imbalance lets in more sun light and heat, warming up temperatures
world wide and what we term as Global
Warming. Over the last 100 years, large
amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are being released into
the atmosphere. The majority of greenhouse gases come from burning fossil fuels
to produce energy, although deforestation, industrial processes, and some
agricultural practices also emit gases into the atmosphere. These Greenhouse gases
act like a cover around our planet, trapping energy in the atmosphere and
causing it to warm. This phenomenon is called the greenhouse effect and is natural and necessary to support
life on Earth. However, the cumulative and excessive percentage of these gases
in the atmosphere can change the Earth's climate
and result in dangerous effects to human health and welfare including the
ecosystem.
Premature
melting of ice regions, increased sea water levels, loss of submarine life and
changes in world climate in both intensity and frequency are the outcomes which
are clearly visible.
Pollution
is trapping us in our own backyard of technology and science, the hallmarks of
the modern human race. We built it to facilitate us, satiate our ever
increasing appetites for everything and truly demonstrating consumerism in all
aspects of life. However a whole gamut of fallouts, consequences was never
thought of, planners and the think tanks never had the foresight to build an
appropriate structure of checks and balances. Some developed nations have just
run away with the “the first one, the preferred one” advantage and have
developed at the cost of polluting the whole atmosphere, having realised the
perils of pollution and outsourcing manufacturing or processes which are polluting,
twisting the global economies with their money power and clout. Now the
developing ones although have woken up but still do not seem to be too
concerned or atleast convey the impression of being hand tied. Most actions
taken are out of compulsion and international pressure and the approach remains
far too slow, lacking will.
On 25.03.2014
WHO declared that 7 million died in 2012 of air pollution caused problems.
Approximately 15 deaths of every 100 were from air pollution related causes.
This places the air pollution factor as the biggest environmental risk to
health.
The report
released by WHO has estimates which have been scientifically and logically
driven and extrapolated on data received from satellites, findings of all
ground level based institutions and region wise, country wise emission values
and predictor analysis of pollution drifts mapped with existing natural air
currents. The researchers have technology at their command which gives them
better insights of regions, demographically and even rural and urban splits.
In 2012, regional analysis revealed low
and middle-income countries in the WHO South-East Asia and Western Pacific
Regions having the largest air pollution-related burden , with a total of 3.3
million deaths linked to indoor air pollution and 2.6 million deaths related to
outdoor air pollution.
The findings of the WHO report show
that outdoor pollution related total death count broken up reads as – 40%
ischemic heart disease and 40% stroke vis a vis indoor pollution 34% stroke and
26% ischemic heart disease. Respiratory/pulmonary disorders in both remain
between 10% to 11%.
We can safely say that Air Pollution
is a major reason of cardiac events and causes Heart disease.
The Particulate Matter is responsible for thickening of the walls of the
carotid artery, thereby increasing the chances of a myocardial infarction or
stroke. The walls get thickened due to the deposit of particulate matter which
is extremely tiny such as the PM1 (particulate matter one) which has the capability to pierce the blood
stream and attach itself to free radicals in the blood and form plaque on the artery
walls causing it to harden and thicken.
The American Heart
Association mentions modern cardio vascular studies that suggest the possible
links between acute and/or chronic exposure to Particulate Matter and
cardiovascular events. It may be related to increases in heart rate and blood
pressure, fibrinogen, and blood coagulation factors; arterial vasoconstriction;
inflammatory mediators (eg, C-reactive protein [CRP]); endothelial injury/dysfunction;
and reduction in heart rate variability (HRV). Resultants may include myocardial
ischemia (significant ST-segment depression during exercise testing, angina pectoris, or both), malignant ventricular
arrhythmias, increased plaque accumulation
and vulnerability, and increased possibility for acute thrombosis triggering
acute coronary syndromes and cardiac events.
According
to Dr Maria Neira, Director, WHO’s Department for Public Health, “ The risks
from air pollution are now far greater than previously thought or understood,
particularly for heart disease and strokes.”
According to Dr Carlos Dora, WHO Coordinator
for Public Health, “Excessive air pollution is often a by-product of
unsustainable policies in sectors such as transport, energy, waste management
and industry. In most cases, healthier strategies will also be more economical
in the long term due to health-care cost savings as well as climate gains.”
The Chinese context - A total of 16 of the world's top 20 most polluted cities
are in china. No. 1 on the World Bank list is Linfen City in Shanxi Province,
China which is known for it’s coal industry. Lead poisoning was described in a 2001 paper as one of the
most common paediatric health problems in China. 30% children are reported to
have excessive lead levels in their blood. A Green Peace campaigner Mr.
Zhang Kai for East Asia reported improvement over last year in certain cities
of China such as Beijing. However he said “this is the only silver lining in a
situation where 90% of cities still record levels of pollution that far exceed
China’s own air quality standards.” China is also trending towards frequent
Industrial explosions, killing many on the spur of the incident and releasing
pollutants in the atmosphere in abundance.
A Chinese watchdog group, released
names of top polluted cities in China which includes Yangquan,Datong,
Shizuishan in Ningxia Hui, Sanmenxia in Henan Province, Jinchang in Gansu
Province, Shijiazhuang in Hebei Province, Xianyang in Shaanxi Province, Zhuzhou
in Hunan Province and Luoyang in Henan Province
Beijing stood 28th on
ranking within China. Recently in the news for being one of the top most
polluted cities in the world Beijing is atleast showing some signs of recovery
and is slightly better off than New Delhi atleast. In Beijing, PM 10 levels decreased
about 40 per cent from 2000 to 2013; in Delhi this has increased about 47 per
cent from 2000 to 2011.
The US
context – The clean Air act has shown significant reduction across the
board for major six pollutants. carbon monoxide pollution in the US
reduced by went down by 51% for the period 2000 to 2010. For the same period
Ground Level Ozone dropped 11%. Lead levels in air dropped by 89% from 1980 to
2010, Nitrogen dioxide by 52% and sulphur dioxide by 83%. The Clean Air Act
Amendments of 1970 and 1977 authorized the regulatory Environmental Protection
Agency more teeth to enforce stricter emission norms all across and results
have been encouraging. The US is also engaged in finding long term solutions to
the problem of emissions, researching ways and means to replace the internal
combustion engine.
The European Union Context – For
the period 1990 to 2013 reductions in emissions of almost all air pollutants
has been reported. The largest fall was in sulphur oxides by 86.7 %,
non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) 60 %. Nitrous oxides
(NOx) 53.5 %with ammonia emissions
falling by 27 % .
London- Nearly 9500 people
have died in a single year in 2010, due to air pollution effects in London
because of high levels of PM
2.5 and Nitrogen dioxide, a bye product of
emission from diesel engines. In January 2015 NO2 levels in Oxford Street had exceeded the legal limit for the whole of
2015 in the space of just four days – while the limit was also breached in
Putney High Street a day later.
However
some of the counter measures taken by the UK Authorities include stricter
Emission Zone standards, the delivery of more than 1,300 hybrid buses and
capping of taxi age. The Mayor’s office in London also released plan for Ultra
Low Emission Zone in London from 2020.
The Indian context – New Delhi-The Times Of India recently quoted a
recent research study revealing that in Delhi the most lethal ultrafine
particulate matter or PM1 had high levels even
in lowest pollution pre monsoon season and that too in the perceived cleaner
and posh parts of the city. PM1 is the smallest of
all particles. It is 2.5 times smaller than PM 2.5, which is 30 times smaller than a human hair width. The PM1 particles are so small and weightless
that now for vehicles with Euro 5 fuel standard, the emission is being measured
are in number of pollution particles as against the weight of particles.
PM1 levels are 35% to 50%
higher than PM 2.5 levels in Delhi which
is alarming since PM 2.5 levels are as it is skyrocketing in Delhi.
Delhi is has earned the dubious distinction of being the world’s most polluted
city, singled out of 1600 cities mapped worldwide.
PM1 can easily penetrate deep within the
lungs and blood stream. PM1 causes cardio
vascular disease. T K Joshi, director of Centre for Occupational and
Environmental Health (COEH) says "Since they get diffused with the blood,
new research strongly suggests they can travel to the brain and cause
strokes."
The National Green Tribunal has recently intervened in the face of
inaction by the Delhi Government and issued a slew of directions to governments
in NCR, most of which, although are yet to be implemented. It is heartening to
see the NGT reviewing banning of old vehicles, diesel vehicles etc and even
going to the extent of asking the manufacturers of cluster buses being used in
Delhi for public transport as to why their models make so much noise.
Overall recommendations made by various institutions are gathering dust
and the Delhi Government is still mulling over what to do and itching to pin it
on the central Government for having done nothing either by releasing
statements such as “it should not be the responsibilities of the state
governments only to counter pollution. Centre needs to pitch in too.”Blame game
is on and it is as murky as the Delhi smog.
Other parts of India fare no better. In India, more
than half of the monitored cities have above-average or critical levels
of particulate matter pollution below 10 micrometers. Future trending by any
available technique is spelling impending disaster.
Steps taken by Government of India to curb air pollution include
implementation of the Bharat stage-IV emission
norms in 13 large cities including
NCR for new 4-wheelers from 2010. Mass emission standards (Bharat Stage III) as a country wide
notification defined for two, three wheelers and diesel driven agricultural
tractors from April 1, 2010 throughout the country alongwith strict
norms for in use vehicles in 2004. Usage of CNG vehicles for mass transport in
cities such as Delhi. The Government also introduced alternate public transport
systems such as the Delhi Metro and similarly trying to replicate in some other
cities such as Jaipur, lucknow etc. Standards
have been developed for Oxides
of Nitrogen (NOx), Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) and load based standards for
particulate matter (PM) including revision of PM emission standard
for the cement industry.
However In
India the Agencies monitoring the environment and implementing standards and
norms to follow and creating awareness are slow in response and seem to be
debating possibilities more than imposing a few and implementing them on a war
footing. Decisions have to go through red tape and recommendations being
implemented on the ground with alacrity are not happening. The problem seems to
be set for compounding further by all the ambitious economic growth projects
the current government is embarking upon without developing any meaningful
pollution control protocol.
The
framework of controlling measures falls far short of the scale and speed at
which pollution is increasing, both in terms of oversight as well as in
recognition of the gravity of the issue. Actions proposed or taken till now do
not justify the intent.
The metro
city public however has started viewing Environment pollution in India more
seriously. In a survey conducted and statistics released by PEW research centre
on how Indians feel about sensitive and critical issues, 74% of the respondents
displayed extreme concern on air pollution in 2015 as against 52% in 2014. 73%
were very concerned on global warming too.
The shift in attitude towards pollution problem also stems from the fact
that Delhi residents and public have been in International and domestic
platforms both with a spew of articles and readings on Delhi’s air quality
woes. Nicholas Dawes, an editor at The Hindustan Times, said the media coverage
was just one reason for the attitude shift. “I think the people of Delhi are
increasingly unwilling to tolerate tough circumstances,” he said. Dr. Joshua S. Apte, an assistant professor
of environmental engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, studying
Delhi’s air pollution since 2007, said recognition was a start. “The thing that
gives me greatest hope is the huge increase in awareness that I’ve seen in
Delhi just in the past year.”
However, by
and large the problem of Pollution at ground level still lies in the annals of
“read about it, feel about it and let
someone else act on it.”
As Pink Floyd
puts it “Your lips move but I can’t hear what you saying. Oh I have become
comfortably numb.”
#AirPollution #fitness #wellness #healthyheart
#AirPollution #fitness #wellness #healthyheart
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