In the News
June 16, 2018
SURAT: Residents in the Diamond City run the risk of serious health problems from the high levels of particulate matter (PM) in the atmosphere thanks to industrial emissions and noxious fumes of vehicles, particularly in the last two years.
Gujarat Pollution Control Board’s (GPCB) annual PM10 data of 2017-18 shows that the particle pollution recorded from 10 locations in the city was much higher than national average.
The mean of particulate matter at two locations at Pandesara, which houses the textile mills, is 174 and 184 per micrograms per cubic meter of air (ug/m3) per annum as against the national average of 100 ug/m3.
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Particulate matter pollution is made up of tiny particles – the tiniest are about 30 times smaller than the width of hair – that come from vehicles, factories, biomass combustion and construction dust etc. They can penetrate deep into our lungs, and cause heart and lung diseases in us.
Air Quality Life Index (AQLI), created by Energy Policy Institute at University of Chicago, presents the effect of particulate matter on lifespans around the world, calculating how many life years could be saved if local governments meet the World Health Organization’s (WHO) and their own national standards for air pollution.
The AQLI is based on the results of a new study of pollution and life expectancy near Huai River in China, published last year in the proceedings of National Academy of Sciences. The study isolated the effect of air pollution on lifespans, revealing that an increase of 10 micrograms of PM10 (particulate matter that is 10 micrometers or less in diameter) per cubic meter of air (ug/m3) reduces life expectancy by 0.64 years.