City breathes in toxic air 80 percent of time: Study

In a first-of-its-kind initiative, five air quality monitoring devices were installed across the city — at Kuruvimedu (Vallur), Kodungaiyur, Mugathwarakuppam (Ennore), Anna Salai (Teynampet) and Eldams Road to measure Particulate Matter (particles suspended in air) 2.5, and give the citizens a real-time update. This would also enable the government and other agencies to devise better ways to deal with critically polluted areas. 

The project — a joint venture between city-based Huma Lung Foundation, the Other Media’s Healthy Energy Initiative and Mumbai-based UrbanSciences   was kickstarted on Monday. Currently, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has three real-time air quality monitors in Chennai, while Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has five in the city. 

Experts, however, said that this is insufficient, considering the size of the city, which is growing exponentially. Ronak Sutaria, founder and CEO of UrbanSciences, said that there is a need for affordable technology to monitor air quality in real time. “Every citizen has the right to clean air. In a country like India, we need to increase real-time monitoring of air quality and it should be affordable,” said Sutaria. 

He added, “Our air quality monitoring device Atmos can monitor and give real-time updates on the website.” Data from the five monitors revealed that between January 1 and January 23, the daily averages of the levels of the dangerous PM2.5 in Kuruvimedu, Kodungaiyur, Anna Salai and Mugatwarakuppam ranged from unhealthy to hazardous for more than 80% of the time. 

A separate assessment using a more expensive low-volume air sampler at Minjur revealed that air in all locations of the city was loaded with toxic pollutants like silica and metals like iron, nickel, manganese, lead and sulphur at high levels. Arvind Kumar, founder and trustee of Delhi-based Lung Care Foundation, said that air pollution impacts not only the lungs but the entire body. 

“Thirty years ago, lung cancer was mainly due to smoking. Now, 50% of the patients are non-smokers. With the existing level of air pollution, each one of us is equivalent to a smoker,” he said.