India is to review its air quality standards next year, addressing an environmental and public health issue of significant concern. New national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) are likely, reports indicate. Discussions are said to be considering ultra-fine particulate matter (PM0.1), smaller than fine particulate matter or PM 2.5 which denotes particular matter of 2.5 […]
Air Pollution
Air pollution and dementia, an ominous link
According to an elongated study conducted at the University of Washington, air pollution raises the risks of dementia, lending fears that the bulk of India’s population could be rendered far more prone to developing the condition. The study used data from two long running datasets — one that began in the late 1970s charting air […]
Did stubble burning fuel Delhi’s third wave?
New research claims that the practice of stubble burning may have been a key driver of Delhi’s third wave of COVID-19 infections. The study, published in Urban Climate, identified a tenfold increase in the national capital during the biomass burning season which sees agricultural workers in the neighbouring states of Haryana and Punjab burn the […]
Reducing levels of poverty could help ease India’s energy demands
Households with access to clean fuels, safe water, basic education and adequate food can use as little as half the energy of the national average in their country, according to a study published in Environmental Research Letters. The results of the study examining the link between energy consumption, inequalities and links to well-being in Nepal, […]
Hidden air pollutants contributing to critical situation in Indian cities
A group of boys play soccer in the smog on a maidan in Kolkata. Environmental concerns such as pollution have a ruinous effect on public health. Image credit: edan / 123rf Indian cities’ levels of air pollution are continuing to rise. Critical contributions to this trend are coming from hidden air pollutants, scientists from the […]
India’s move to continue coal energy investment disregards health of communities
![A thermal powerplant situated @ 20 kms away of raichur [own work, CC license]. Energy infrastructure example.](https://d1o5numy7xgf2v.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/800px-Raichur_Thermal_Power_Station-150x150.jpg "Energy infrastructure: Why we need to rethink it")
In a move at odds with calls from the United Nations, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and the wider global audience that has its sights trained on the environmental status quo, draft electricity policy documents viewed by Reuters have shown that India is open to the possibility of further developing its fleet of coal-fired […]
COVID-19 lockdowns reduced concentration of air pollutants in Indian cities
For a crisis of such a magnitude as COVID-19, it seems arguably grotesque to seek out a silver lining. However, it is undeniable that India’s lockdowns in response to the pandemic had a positive impact when it came to air pollution. Five cities with ordinarily high rates of pollution showed a temporary reduction in particulate […]
Healthcare gains from meeting Paris Agreement uncovered for India and other major nations
![By U.S. Department of State from United States [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](https://d1o5numy7xgf2v.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Secretary_Kerry_Addresses_Delegates_Before_Signing_the_COP21_Climate_Change_Agreement_on_Earth_Day_in_New_York_26514585581-150x150.jpg "Exclusive interview: Sir Andy Haines on climate change, a global health challenge")
Millions of lives could be saved by adopting policies in line with the targets of the Paris Agreement goals and prioritising health. This is according to new research published in The Lancet Planetary Health, from the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change. The adoption of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) aimed at limiting warming to […]
Economic toll of air pollution revealed with India’s problem not only impacting health
A recent study published in The Lancet has provided evidence of the adverse economic impact of air pollution in India, an effect that comes alongside multiple negative health outcomes. The study, conducted by researchers from the Global Observatory on Pollution and Health at Boston College, the Indian Council of Medical Research, and the Public Health […]
CCIL president T. M. Chen on pollution, air quality, and health
Air pollution is among the most pressing challenges in creating a healthy society. It has been a bane on Indians’ public health for decades as the State of Global Air Report 2020 underlined. To discuss this, Health Issues India spoke with T. M. Chen, president of Continental Carbon India Limited (CCIL) and Master of Chemical Engineering […]