Manganese, Nickel, Lead, Cadmium, More: Alarmingly High Levels Of Carcinogens In Delhi Air

Air pollution has returned to haunt Delhiites and this time it appears to be more lethal than ever. Residents of the national Capital, who were breathing easy after the introduction of CNG and green vehicles in the past few years, have reason to worry about the air they inhale. A recent study by Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has revealed that the air in Delhi is full of carcinogenic (cancer causing) particles.

JNU's department of environmental sciences has come out with a toxicological risk assessment report that points out alarming levels of aerosol and heavy metals in the city's air. The study was sponsored by the University Grants Commission and supported by the Ministry of Environment and Forests and published by the National Academy of Sciences recently.



The presence of particulate matter (PM), inhalable particles, in both diameter - PM2.5 and PM10 - and cancer causing heavy metals such as nickel and cadmium in the Capital's air has been found to be exceeding the permissible limits at peak traffic hours.

The concentration of PM2.5, in fact, has been found to be exceeding the limits (60ig/m3) prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board in all areas. The effect of exposure to these pollutants on the health of population was studied in the age-group of 18-45. "Exposure to PM10 for eight hours daily for 10 years can cause 1,820 early deaths (in the 18-45 age group) per one million population due to acute diseases such as respiratory ailments. If people are exposed to PM2.5 (for the same period), there is a possibility of increase in number of early deaths by 2,170 people per one million population," said Rajesh Kushwaha, a research scholar at the School of Environmental Sciences, JNU. Early deaths triggered by chronic diseases such as heart diseases and cancer would increase by 47,800 per one million population from exposure to PM2.5 and 42,300 from PM10. At least 5,790 more people would die due to exposure to nickel, while an additional 869 people would die due to exposure to cadmium," he said.

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