Exploring the Health Risks: How Poor Air Quality Affects Children and the Elderly in India

"The health of the air we breathe is the foundation of our health as a society."

??— Dr. Margaret Chan, former Director-General, World Health Organization.

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Air pollution is a critical health challenge for the public in India. Air pollution in India poses severe risks for health especially to children and elderly. There are various sources of air pollution in India ranging from emissions from vehicles, discharges from industries, dust from construction sites to burning of biomass. Also, during the winter season, residuals of crops are burnt in the northern part of India.

The State of Air Quality in India

The quality of air can be determined by determining the levels of particulate matter in the air. The World air quality report of 2022 states that Indian cities including ?metropolitan cities like Delhi and its nearby cities like Ghaziabad and Nodia have highest levels of particulate matter (PM2.5) in their air. In the year 2021, it was recorded that Delhi has an level of

126 μg/m3 much higher than the recommended limit of 5 μg/m3 by WHO.

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Health Risks for Children

Children are most vulnerable to the detrimental effects of air pollution because their respiratory systems are still in the developing stage.

If children are kept exposed to severely polluted air for a considerably long period of time then they are most prone to develop respiratory issues, like asthma.

?Studies from ‘National Institute of Health (NIH) (.gov)’ in the article “Air quality and respiratory health in children” have shown that children residing in highly polluted cities have a 20% higher risk of developing asthma and also cognitive developmental delays.

?Another study has shown that children exposed to deteriorated air quality perform extremely worse on cognitive tests when compared to children living in cleaner environments.

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Health Risks for the Elderly

?The elderly are equally vulnerable to facing health risks due to extreme air pollution. With increasing age the immune system of the body weakens and the body becomes more susceptible to the adverse effects of air pollution.

?Elderly people face a significant risk of developing cardiovascular diseases due to air pollution. The Lancet ?Public Health Journal has indicated that exposure to PM2.5 for a long period of time increases the risk of cardiovascular mortality by 15% in the elderly population.

?Also, if they have any pre-existing health issues, like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or any heart disease then these diseases are worsened because of the poor air quality. A study from the Indian Journal of Medical Research has highlighted a profound increase in the admissions of hospitals for exacerbated Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) due to high levels of pollution.

Though several measures have been put forward by the government and various standards have been set for the quality of air in India, combating air pollution effectively is one of the biggest challenges of this decade. Despite constant help from the government, it is necessary to take responsibility at an individual level in order to maintain healthy standards of air quality. Conscious organizations like Vision360 are equally contributing to the prevention and regression of air pollution, prioritizing the health of children and elderly population.