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AQLI

October 25, 2017

‘Better air quality can lengthen your lifespan’

If India reduced its air pollution to comply with the WHO air quality standard, its people could live about four years longer on average, or a combined more than 4.7 billion life years. This is as per projections of the Air Quality-Life Index (AQLI) brought out by the Energy Policy Institute (EPIC) at the University of Chicago.
By
Vinson Kurian

If India reduced its air pollution to comply with the WHO air quality standard, its people could live about four years longer on average, or a combined more than 4.7 billion life years.

Compliance with its own national standards could yield only more than one year in the bargain, or a combined more than 1.6 billion life years.

This is as per projections of the Air Quality-Life Index (AQLI) brought out by the Energy Policy Institute (EPIC) at the University of Chicago.

For instance, Delhi’s air quality level of ‘very poor’ on Diwali day was best in past three years but climbed to ‘severe’ level a day after.

Particulate matter (PM) 2.5, among the deadliest components of air pollution, was assessed at 154µg/m³, over two and half times the satisfactory levels.

EPIC estimates that there are currently an estimated 4.5 billion people around the world exposed to particulate pollution levels that are at least twice what the WHO considers safe. Continue reading…