Vote for BJP in urban local bodies" poll for "triple engine" govt in UP: Adityanath

UP: Man booked for attempting to rape 5-year-old girl

Congress to mark 100 days of Bharat Jodo Yatra with concert in Jaipur

BJYM, Hindu outfits put off planned protest march at AMU

Karachi battles gas crisis; residents face unannounced load shedding, 2-hr gas supply in a day

Elderly man in judicial custody dies during treatment in UP hospital

Himachal Pradesh skittle Haryana for 46, take 200-run lead on Day 1

Pak court grants protective bail to PM Shehbaz"s son Suleman in money laundering case

British Library celebrates India ties with exhibition on Hampi

Nine policemen suspended after suspect dies in police custody in UP

Gangster"s property attached in UP"s Pratapgarh district

Maoists torch construction company vehicles in Jharkhand’s Chatra district

Sino-India border situation "generally stable": China on Yangtse clash

Babar Azam not taking advice from seniors, claims Shahid Afridi

Qlite Global launches their exclusive Grand Experience Centre

"Disillusioned with central leadership": Sikkim BJP president says he has resigned

2001 attack anniversary: Ready to guard new Parliament if directed, say CRPF heroes

Class 2 student dies after scuffle with fellow students in UP

Three killed in accident in UP"s Lakhimpur KheriLakhimpur Kheri (UP), Dec 13 (PTI) Three motorcycle borne youths were killed and "

Abandoned girl child from Assam adopted by Spanish professor

Home >> Delhi

How 'Toxic' Is Delhi's Air? Study Sheds Light

| Sunday | 23rd July, 2017

"The presence of toxic components may be less, but we have to keep in mind the sheer abundance of particulate matter in Delhi's air. The fact that Delhi's air is laden with ultrafine particulates is undisputed. But does that automatically make it "toxic"?A study has found that the ultrafine particulates in Delhi's air, mainly PM2.5 and PM10, are made of relatively less harmful chemical components.Scientist Gufran Beig, project director of System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) that undertook the study last December, told PTI that the chemical characterisation of particulates i.e. "To assess the actual impact of pollution on an individual, factoring in the chemical characterisation of pollutants is crucial. what they are made of chemically, primarily decides the toxicity of air.According to a SAFAR analysis, in Delhi, around 7.6 per cent of the particulates are made of black carbon (BC).

SO4 - 7 per cent, elementary carbon - 7.6 per cent, OC (Organic Carbon)- 28.9 per cent, NO3 (Nitrate) - 12 per cent, salt - 1 per cent, Ammonia - 4.6 per cent and crustal matters like Aluminium - 38.4 per cent.Prolonged exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 beyond prescribed limits can cause harm to the respiratory system as the ultra fine particulates can find their way deep into the lungs and also enter the bloodstream.The prescribed 24-hour-average of PM2.5 is 60 micrograms per cubic metre while the same is 100 in case of PM10. "To assess the actual impact of pollution on an individual, factoring in the chemical characterisation of pollutants is crucial. One should not jump to conclusion purely based on figures of particulates captured by monitoring stations," he said.Delhi had experienced a severe episode of smog last November when the Diwali fireworks had pushed pollution to an alarming level.During that period, or in case of the episode of biomass burning, the air was likely to have been highly toxic due to a deadly cocktail of harmful respirable pollutants and gases, which bursting of firecrackers produce.

If You Like This Story, Support NYOOOZ

NYOOOZ SUPPORTER

₹ 10 - ₹ 1000

NYOOOZ FRIEND

₹ 2000 - ₹ 5000

Your support to NYOOOZ will help us to continue create and publish news for and from smaller cities, which also need equal voice as much as citizens living in bigger cities have through mainstream media organizations.

Stay updated with all the Delhi Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.