• UGI USER
  • Jul 08, 2024
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SUMMER STUDY LINKS HIGH TEMPERATURES TO AIR POLLUTION SPIKES

Why in the news?

  • Study finds high summer temperatures cause PM2.5 spikes in Delhi, Mumbai, Patna, Lucknow, Kolkata due to VOCs and Nitrogen Oxide reactions.
  • 5 levels exceed National Ambient Air Quality Standards (60 ug/m3) during occasional temperature-induced spikes, posing health risks.
source:epa

About National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS):

  • The NAAQS, set by the CPCB under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, apply nationwide.
  • Initially developed in 1982, these standards were revised in 1994, 1998, and most recently in 2009.
  • The 2009 revision unified standards across industrial and residential areas, lowering permissible pollutant limits.
  • Compliance with NAAQS is monitored through the National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP), overseen by the CPCB.
About Volatile Organic Molecules:

  • VOCs are carbon-based chemicals emitted by vehicles using petrol and diesel, impacting air quality and human health.
  • They can also originate naturally from plants, emitted for pollinator attraction, pest defence, and environmental adaptation.
  • Health effects include eye, nose, and throat irritation, organ damage, cancer risk, asthma, and heart disease.
  • VOCs contribute to the formation of harmful pollutants like ground-level ozone and PM2.5, affecting lung function.
  • Benzene is the only VOC regulated under national air-quality standards, alongside other pollutants like PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide.

Associated Article:

universalinstitutions.com/grap-and-pollution-in-delhi-ncr