Report: Household pollution is agent of premature deaths

Mumbai: Residential and industrial pollution contribute majorly to premature deaths due to PM 2.5 levels in Maharashtra, according to a recent study.

A new study by Louisiana State University points out that residential pollution accounted for 49.01 % of the premature deaths due to COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), lung cancer, IHD ( ischemic heart disease) and CEV(cerebrovascular disease) for ages above 25 years. It was followed by industry (23.87%), energy (11.44%), agriculture (7.76%), windblown dust (5.64%), on-road (1.13%), off-road (0.98) and open-burning (0.14%).  

Professor Hongliang Zhang, author of the report said “Based on our results, the policy measures with the largest potential for air quality improvements are reducing emissions from thermal power plants, instituting strong emissions standards for industries, reducing solid fuel use in households, shifting to zig-zag kilns in brickmaking, and introducing stronger vehicular emissions standards in an accelerated schedule.”

The study estimated national population-averaged concentrations of PM2.5 in India under 13 emission scenarios.  In total, these measures could reduce the average PM2.5 levels by 40% nationwide, leading to 858,900 avoided premature deaths per year. The combined effect of the power sector measures that is, implementing emissions standards in operating and new coal-based thermal power plants and cancelling planned plants not yet under construction, had the largest effect on reducing PM2.5 by 4.3 µg/m3.

Applying new emission standards in industry was the second largest at a reduction of 2.95 µg/m3 . The results show that reducing residential emission from solid fuels combustion and reducing diesel generating sets use affects PM2.5 concentration most, followed by reducing municipal solid waste burning and new emission standards applying in industry sector. Other measures include reducing crop burning, applying Bharat standards etc.

Report Highlights

In the severe polluted area from North India to South India, the major contributors are energy, industry, residential and agriculture.

Windblown dust makes a high contribution to total primary particulate matter (PPM) in some areas outside India like Tibet and Iran. Residential and agriculture contribute almost all the ammonia PM, especially at the high concentration area from North India to South India.

Energy, industry and on-road contribute almost of nitrate PM especially at the high concentration area from North India to South India. In contrast to ammonia PM, energy nitrate PM concentrations are also high in Central India.