If the country reduces pollution to comply with its national standards, the Air Quality-Life Index (AQLI) revealed that Indians could live more than a year longer on average, or a combined more than 1.6 billion life years. “The government needs to speak the language of health, and explain to people that not meeting a standard would mean living less number of years”.

The most unsafe particulate matter is PM2.5, which are fine particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less. The compliance of World Health Organization standards could also see Delhiites, who breathe a very polluted air, gain the most as they could live up to nine years longer and six years more if national standards are met, the study added.

A recent study on the impact of air pollution on life expectancy states that Indians, on an average, could live for 4 more years if the air quality standards as prescribed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) are duly met.

The study also said that some of the biggest gains would be seen in Delhi and some cities.

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The findings are based on a research work, published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, on the harmful effects of a Chinese government policy to provide free coal to a region north of the Huai river. 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 (μg/m) reduces life expectancy by 0.64 years.’

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