Air pollution in city is worst around 8am, says report

Air pollution around 8am is at its worst in the city and the concentration of PM2.5 is the highest at this time. PM 2.5 are small pollutant particles that can easily

Air pollution around 8am is at its worst in the city and the concentration of PM2.5 is the highest at this time. PM 2.5 are small pollutant particles that can easily enter the lungs and cause ailments.

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These were among the findings of a study by city-based air quality monitoring group UrbanSciences and Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur (IIT-K), with assistance from Delhi-based Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation.

Analysing data for six months (June to November 2019) from air quality monitors set up by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in five cities including Mumbai, the study found high levels of air pollution during early hours of the day.

PM2.5 levels are around 30% higher at 8am (70 micrograms per cubic metre - µg/m3) as against the lowest air quality hour at 2pm (50 µg/m3).

The daily safe standard is 60 µg/m3. Also, weekdays in Mumbai are more polluted than weekends, due to reduced vehicular traffic on Saturdays and Sundays.

“The city has typical urban morning peaks in PM2.5 concentration levels from 7 to 9am and evening peaks from 7 to 11pm. The pattern suggests that traffic is a predominant source of pollution during these days. PM2.5 levels in the afternoon period (between 2 and 4pm) are observed to be the lowest. In June to September, monsoon is probably responsible for low PM levels,” said the report.

The study found high levels of air pollution during the winter period in Mumbai. Doctors said there had been a spike in reported cases of respiratory ailments at the end of 2019. “In the last two weeks, due to the poor air quality and changing weather, upper respiratory tract infections had gone up with complaints of cough, sneezing, fever, chest tightness, breathlessness, running nose, and body pain. Also, whoever amongst them has gone for early morning walks suffered more as there are more dust particles in the air in the early morning,” said Dr. Arvind Kate, chest physician, Zen Multispecialty Hospital.