A study published in The Lancet Planetary Health has revealed that long-term exposure to PM2.5 pollution may have contributed to approximately 1.5 million deaths annually in India from 2009 to 2019. Conducted by researchers from institutions including Ashoka University, Haryana, and the Centre for Chronic Disease Control, New Delhi, the study highlights the severe air quality crisis across the country.
The research found that India’s entire population of 1.4 billion resides in areas where PM2.5 levels exceed the World Health Organization’s recommended yearly average of 5 micrograms per cubic metre. Additionally, about 82% of the population (1.1 billion people) lives in regions where yearly PM2.5 concentrations surpass India’s National Ambient Air Quality Standards of 40 micrograms per cubic metre.
PM2.5 pollution refers to fine particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 microns or smaller. The study established that an increase of 10 micrograms per cubic metre in PM2.5 pollution is associated with an 8.6% rise in annual mortality.
To conduct the study, the researchers analyzed district-level death records from 2009 to 2019, sourced from the Civil Registration System, and combined this data with PM2.5 concentration estimates derived from satellite imagery and over 1,000 ground-monitoring stations.
The findings highlighted significant variations in PM2.5 exposure across the country. In 2019, the lowest yearly PM2.5 level was recorded in the Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh (11.2 micrograms per cubic metre), while the highest levels were observed in 2016 in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi, at 119 micrograms per cubic metre.
As reported by economictimes, the researchers noted that evidence on the long-term health impacts of air pollution in India remains limited and differs from studies conducted in other countries. This study underscores the urgent need to address the severe air quality crisis in India to mitigate its impact on public health.