The Health Menace of Myriad Air Pollutants: An Indian Perspective

Abstract

Air pollution has been obserbed to be one of the greatest scourges of our era. As per United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) approximately 1.1 billion people respire adulterated air globally. While some interrelation between the quality of air and human diseases has been acknowledged since the ancient past, the consequences of air pollution on health became predominant in the twentieth century. It is now the biggest environmental risk owing to its impact not only on the global climate but also on public health. Almost every substance or compound present in the air in concentrations high enough to threaten the health of all living beings or cause damage to the environment is designated as an air pollutant. Therefore, the objective of this segment is to unravel the potential health threats interrelated with deteriorating air quality and distinctly affirm the pernicious effects of pollution on the environment as well as on human beings. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified six pollutants as the major ones that pose a threat to the ecosystem. These include particulate matter, ground-level ozone (O₃), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and lead (Pb). Other than these major pollutants, many substances such as dust, fumes, hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, halogen derivatives, and bioaerosols are suspended in the air. These substances when present at excessive concentrations generate vulnerability to countless diseases along with malignancy. Human-induced changes to the atmosphere are driven largely by industrial activities, vehicle emissions, biomass burning, garbage incineration, mining activities, construction and demolition, burning of fossil fuels, agricultural production, and many others. Natural sources include volcanic eruption, microbial decay, smoke from wildfires, pollen, windblown dust, etc. In addition, meteorology has a strong influence on the spatial and temporal distribution as it affects the concentration, dispersion, dilution, and other physiochemical properties of the pollutants. The complex reciprocal interactions between climate change and air quality have important implications that need to be addressed immediately. Apart from jeopardizing health, air pollution has adverse effects on the economy of a nation. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) therefore urge for the limitation of ailments and mortalities occurring on account of air pollution. Reviews and assessments demonstrate that coordinated planning can help in achieving potential health benefits. Hence, managing air pollution is indispensable and should be the prime concern of higher authorities. The introduction of an effective environmental protection mechanism is of paramount importance. Awareness about the control measures in terms of the benefits to society needs to be promoted among the public. Overall, there is a grave necessity for an extensive air quality management strategy for the refinement of health standards and the refurbishment of the environmental status of the country.