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New research on air pollution and Alzheimer’s is a warning for Asia

Scientists are growing more confident that air pollution—especially from particulate matter less than 2.5 microns wide, known as PM 2.5—significantly raises the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, according to a series of separate studies published in July. The link between neurological disease and air pollution has been suspected for some time, and now data …

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In Addressing Sanitation Woes, India Needs Separate Approaches for Rural, Urban Areas

India has made remarkable progress on several economic fronts since independence in 1947. While the data suggests that there has been a significant rise in literacy, per capita income and life expectancy, India still hosts the highest number of malnourished children in the world. Recent research has established that water and sanitation issues are the …

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Mumbai: ‘Suburbs more vulnerable to Covid as air pollutants linger’

MUMBAI: Mumbai’s suburbs such as Ghatkopar, Vikhroli, Bhandup, Mulund, Kurla, Andheri, Vile Parle and Kandivli are more prone to Covid-19 due to prolonged and excessive exposure to air pollutants, states a new study. The first-of-its-kind ward-level study by the International Institute of Population Sciences (IIPS) points to a significant association between pollution and Covid-19 in …

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A scientist’s guide to life: How to protect yourself from indoor air pollution

Cleaning products… candles… cookers… How much does indoor air pollution really affect us, and what can we do about it? Respiratory specialist Dr Jonathan Grigg explains all.   We know that cooking releases particulates into the air, and that levels can remain elevated long after cooking is finished. Open a window when you cook and …

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Vehicle pollution doubled in 5 years in Mumbai, shows study

Tiny, deadly particles in Mumbai’s air from vehicular movement have nearly doubled over the past five years, making it the biggest contributor to the city’s already . A 2019-20 source estimation analysis for PM2.5 pollutants recently done by System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), under Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) Pune, …

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‘Home emissions cause 25% pollution deaths’

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 …

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‘Higher pollution aggravated Covid cases in Mumbai, Pune’

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 …

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Asphalt roads make city air pollution worse in summer, study finds

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. …

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