Air Pollution
Earlier the air we breathe in used to be pure and fresh. But, due to increasing concentration of poisonous gases in the environment the air is getting more and more toxic day by day. Air pollution is contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere. It is also the contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment either by chemical, physical, or biological agents that alter the natural features of the atmosphere. There are many different types of air pollutants, such as gases including ammonia, carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide.
Air pollution and climate change affect each other through complex interactions in the atmosphere. Air pollution is intricately linked with climate change because both problems come largely from the same sources, such as emissions from burning fossil fuels.
An air pollutant is a material in the air that can have many effects on humans and the ecosystem. The substance can be solid particles, liquid droplets, or gases, and often takes the form of an solid particles or liquid droplets dispersed and carried by a gas. A pollutant can be of natural origin or man-made.
Pollutants are classified as primary or secondary. Primary pollutants are usually produced by processes such as ash from a volcanic eruption. Other examples include carbon monoxide gas from motor vehicle exhausts or sulfur dioxide released from factories. Secondary pollutants are not emitted directly. Rather, they form in the air when primary pollutants react or interact. Some pollutants may be both primary and secondary: they are both emitted directly and formed from other primary pollutants.
IQAir Air Quality Index
| Sr.No | Country | 2023 Avg. Index |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bangladesh | 164 |
| 2 | Pakistan | 160 |
| 3 | India | 147 |
| 4 | Tajikistan | 134 |
| 5 | Burkina Faso | 128 |
| 6 | Iraq | 121 |
Studies and Surveys
Upon conducting multiple surveys it has been obtained that –
1) India was declared as the third-most polluted country in 2023, after Bangladesh and Pakistan, according to a report released by Swiss air quality monitoring body, IQAir.
2) Delhi is the most polluted city in the country and the third most polluted city in the world.
3) The average temperature of Delhi has increased from 22 degree Celsius to 26 degree Celsius.
4) 13 of the world's 20 cities with the highest annual levels of air pollution are in India.
5) As per a study based on 2016 data, at least 140 million people in India breathe air that is 10 times or more over the WHO safe limit.
6) Some reports, including one by the World Health Organization, claim 300,000 to 400,000 people die of indoor air pollution and carbon monoxide poisoning in India because of biomass burning and use of chullhas.
7) Air pollution contributes to the premature deaths of 2 million Indians every year.
8) Air pollution in India caused approximately 1.2 million deaths in 2017.
9) India as a whole is the third largest greenhouse gas producer after China and the United States.
10) In cities like Bangalore, around 50% of children suffer from asthma due to air pollution.
11) Of the four major Indian cities, air pollution was consistently worse in Delhi, every year over 5-year period (2004–2018). Kolkata was a close second, followed by Mumbai. Chennai air pollution was least of the four.
12) Around four million people died in 2019 from exposure to outdoor air pollution, with the highest death rates occurring in East Asia and Central Europe.