Beijing Faces Most Smog and Delhi Breathes In the Dirtiest Air - WHO

Beijing Faces Most Smog and Delhi Breathes In the Dirtiest Air: The Negative Impact of Air Pollution in Asia

WHO’s attempt to measure pollution has yielded results that are very negative for Delhi and Beijing. World Health Organization conducted a study of about 1,600 cities across the world. The first dismal finding of this study is that air pollution has worsened since the year 2011 when a smaller survey was conducted. This is more so in poorer countries. City dwellers are now at higher risk of cancer, heart disease and stroke.

Air pollution led to the death of 7 million people in 2012, giving it the status of one of the biggest environmental health hazards in the world. The worst part about air pollution is that it is entirely manmade. 13 of the 20 most polluted cities in the world were from India, as per the latest WHO survey. The top spots for the most polluted cities in the world were obtained by New Delhi, followed by Patna, Gwalior and Raipur.

New Delhi is the capital city of our nation. It is a shame that this city is considered the most polluted among 1,600 cities in the world. New Delhi has an average of 153 micrograms of small particulates PM2.5 per cubic metre. This reveals the huge contamination of the atmosphere in India’s capital city.

Beijing is the capital of China. It is considered one of the most advanced cities in the world. Beijing has world class technology and it has some of the best infrastructure in the world. Unfortunately, this city also has the highest amount of smog among the cities surveyed. However, Beijing has lesser pollution levels compared to New Delhi. It was in the 77th place with a PM2.5 reading of 56 which is over one-third of Delhi’s pollution level.

WHO experts took the Chinese data from 2010. Beijing’s city government has been publishing hourly data pertaining to PM2.5 from the month of January in 2012. After it started publishing the data, it obtained a PM2.5 reading of as high as 900 once, according to environmental health agency Greenpeace.

Beijing’s government also indicated that PM2.5 concentration stood at daily averages of 89.5 micrograms per cubic metre in 2013. This is 156% higher than the national standards. This reading would put Beijing in the 17th position as per the WHO database. However, WHO has stated that there is no safe level for pollution as per PM2.5 data.Lower air pollution levels were noted in other cities. Some 32 cities reported a PM2.5 reading of less than 5. Most of these were from Canada. One was located in Iceland and the remaining 7 were in the US. The WHO has indicated that the cities readily provided the data so that the problem of air pollution can be addressed.

The WHO director for Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health, Ms. Maria Neira has encouraged cities to see the rising air pollution levels as a challenge that has to be countered. A majority of the air pollution in these cities has been caused by combustion of coal, smokestack industries and excessive pollutants from vehicular emissions.

This finding of rising air pollution levels as per the Ambient Air Pollution database is a wake-up call for governments across Asia. The study monitored air pollution levels across 91 countries. It used the PM2.5 measure for particulate matters less than 2.5 microns. This type of pollution of the air is most deadly because it comprises tiny particles that increase the chances of developing respiratory diseases and other health conditions.

New Delhi was also found to have PM10 concentrations of 286 micrograms which is considerably more than the permissible level. Beijing has PM10 concentration of 121 micrograms. Excessive reliance on fossil fuels is what is causing this problem to escalate beyond manageable levels. If renewable sources of energy were used instead, the problem of air pollution would be rapidly eliminated. Even wars revolving around oil and gas reserves such as the crisis in Crimea and the South China Sea would be prevented from occurring if the world shifted to renewable energy sources. Renewable energy from the sun, wind and other natural sources is the win-win solution the world is looking for.