The outdoor air pollution from all sources causes 2.18 million deaths in India every year, second only to China. According to a recent study, air pollution is silently claiming over 2 million lives in India every year
5.1 million additional deaths are caused by fossil fuel pollution every year from industry, power generation, and transportation. According to the researchers, 61 percent of deaths -lost lives worldwide are caused by ambient air pollution from all sources in 2019, which could be prevented by replacing fossil fuels with clean, renewable energy.
According to a team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Germany, the latest estimates of deaths related to fossil fuels are even higher than previous reports.As a result, eliminating fossil fuels may have a greater effect on reducing mortality rates than previously believed. Utilizing a new model, the team calculated overall and specific causes of death attributed to air pollution from fossil fuels and examined the potential health advantages of implementing policies that transition to clean and renewable energy sources.
The researchers found that the majority (52 percent) of deaths were related to common conditions such as ischemic heart disease (30 percent), stroke (16 percent), chronic obstructive lung disease (16 percent), and diabetes (6 percent). There were about 20 percent who were not defined, but they may be partially linked to high blood pressure and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Air pollution has emerged as a major public health concern in India, contributing significantly to premature deaths, according to Shuchin Bajaj, Consultant Internal Medicine, Ujala Cygnus Group of Hospitals, New Delhi.
The respiratory and cardiovascular effects of particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide are serious. Bajaj, who was not involved in the study, told PTI that high concentrations of PM2.5, tiny particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs, have been linked to respiratory diseases, heart ailments, and other health complications.
As a result of prolonged exposure to these pollutants, mortality rates among vulnerable groups, such as children and the elderly, are higher.
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