
So, how polluted is India’s air, really?
The release of the US-based Health Effects Institute’s (HEI) State of Global Air report has generated the latest alarm over air pollution in India. The report includes an analysis of 25 years of Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data assessing the impact of air pollution on mortality.According to 2015 GBD data, PM2.5 (particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micron) contributed to 4.2 million deaths globally, 52% of which occurred in China and India. In 2015, ground-level ozone caused 254,000 deaths worldwide, with India accounting for 42% of these deaths.The report, and media attention, has been focused on particulate matter pollution which has the most immediate harmful impact. However, other pollutants such as sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) also pose significant health h...