Air Pollution

We often don’t realize how small things make an impact on the air around you, for example the exhaust from your car, that firework show at your friends baby shower (not mentioning causing forest forest fires apparently), the burning of plastic waste, to name a few.

For now, it seems that we are safe. We can breathe effortlessly. We can take it for granted and never think twice about it right?

Well, I’m here to make you think thrice. Take the city infamous and advanced for its air pollution level, New Delhi. In winters, the average pollution in the city is “hazardous” at an AQI (Air Quality Index) level of 500+ during late winter. In fact, on several occasions it shot above 999. Note that 999 is the maximum that the meters can record up to. The recommended limit is 100, in contrast.

What does this mean? It means that any weather app will recommend you to stay inside and minimize outdoor excursions. It means that there are days that you won’t see the sun and mornings when you can’t see the car in front of you on the road due to the intense haze.

But these are the least of the problems. Issues start pouring in when the parts of the body that use this air get involved.

Let’s start with the obvious. There was a 15% increase in asthma cases in New Delhi this year alone on the onset of winter. In fact, 2.2 million children in New Delhi have irreversible lung damage due to the air pollution. Prolonged exposure to bad air quality is also being linked to many mental and cognitive illnesses, for example, a decrease of logical ability in many children. Other problems like breathlessness, chest constriction, and early death are also directly linked to air pollution.

These are just numbers and words that highlight important things yet probably a long shot away from your current conditions. You open your weather app and find an AQI index below 100 and forget that air pollution could have ever been considered to be a problem. This essay is useless then and concerns an issue that doesn’t concern you anymore.

Alright then. Let me put it this way. Currently, breathing in New Delhi is equivalent to smoking 40 cigarettes a day. And you already know how amazing cigarettes are at completely destroying your lungs, blood oxygen levels, and overall happiness. So imagine breathing out smoke without having a choice and waking up with a metallic tongue and burning eyes like a pepper spray.

But.. but.. Worse comes to worse you can wear a light scarf on your nose and mouth and swimming glasses on your eyes when you go out and enjoy your life like normal, right? Well, no. This isn’t COVID that a normal face mask will solve (because we are not stopping water droplets in this case). We’re talking PM 2.5 air pollution, which is code for “Particulate Matter 2.5” or particles that are between 1 and 2.5 microns (a millionth of a meter) in size floating around freely in the air. You need a special N95 mask to block these types of pollutants.

Now even if you install a plethora of air purifiers and attempt to isolate yourself, you won’t be able to shield yourself forever. Even if you do, is that a future you want?

All in all, air pollution is a serious issue that we take too lightly, because it happens so slowly. But it’s better to be aware of it now than realize when it’s too late.