One-fourth of air pollution-linked deaths in India are due to residential emissions where solid biofuel combustion contributes to the ambient fine particulate matter PM2.5, the first global source apportionment study said. The study, published in Nature Communications, analysed number of deaths, which could be attributable to exposure to air pollution from specific sources in 2017 …
Cities, including Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, and Ahmedabad, experienced the highest number of Covid-19 cases and casualties between March and November 2020 owing to higher pollution levels involving PM 2.5 emission loads, says a new study. It was conducted by a team from Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, IITM-Pune, National Technology Institute Rourkela and IIT-Bhubaneswar. It was recently …
‘Higher pollution aggravated Covid cases in Mumbai, Pune’ Read More »
Air pollution is prematurely ageing the faces of city dwellers by accelerating wrinkles and age spots, according to emerging scientific research. The effects of toxic fumes on skin are being seen in both western cities, such as London and New York, as well as in more visibly polluted Asian cities and in some cases may …
Air pollution causes wrinkles and premature ageing, new research shows Read More »
Emissions from asphalt are a significant source of air pollutants in cities, especially in hot weather, a study shows. Researchers found that when asphalt was exposed to hot summer conditions it resulted in a 300% increase in emissions of secondary organic aerosols (SOA), an air pollutant known to have significant impacts on public health. …
Asphalt roads make city air pollution worse in summer, study finds Read More »
Fiona Westerhout talks about her skin as though she is giving directions in a familiar neighbourhood: oily around the T-zone, dry cheeks, sensitive with the occasional breakout. Westerhout, 29, had just started blogging about skincare when she and her partner moved from Perth in Western Australia to Shanghai in May 2016. There she found …
Anti-pollution skincare: can a cream really help you ‘face the city’? Read More »
Air pollution might be linked to poor sleep, say researchers looking into the impact of toxic air on our slumbers. Looking tired can harm your social life, say researchers. The study explored the proportion of time participants spent asleep in bed at night compared with being awake – a measure known as sleep efficiency. The …
A new study has found that public restrooms can indeed be hotbeds for transmission of airborne diseases. Flushing a toilet generates aerosols that could linger in the air for hours, possibly days. Given that aerosols are now widely accepted as the primary mode of transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, is there a …
Air pollution costs Indian businesses $95 billion every year, or 3% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, and cuts annual consumer spending by $22 billion, according to a study released on Thursday. Every year, higher pollution levels shave off $1.3 billion from India’s IT sector in lost productivity, said the study by industry group …
Air pollution costs Indian businesses $95 billion a year – study Read More »
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the constitution of an eight-member national task force to oversee air quality monitoring of 124 non-attainment cities (NACs) in the country. Headed by the environment secretary, the task force will have members from ministries of housing and urban development, road transport, petroleum, power, agriculture, health, and chairman of …
NGT directs setting up national task force for air pollution monitoring in 124 cities Read More »
The announcement of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan by the Indian government, back in 2014, created tremendous momentum to leapfrog the country towards reaching open defecation free status. By the end of 2020, the mission achieved significant success with a multi-fold increase in access to toilets. Yet, urban poor populations living in informal settlements are disproportionately disadvantaged, …
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: Sanitation, purpose and the power of partnerships Read More »