India’s Air Pollution Crisis: Impact on Health, Climate, and Lifestyle, and How to Stay Safe

Today, India is the world’s second most polluted country. Year by year, the country is becoming high in air pollution and there are different reasons for it. Thermal power plants, pollution from vehicles, industrial emissions, and the burning of wood, inappropriate fuels for cooking and heating are some of the main causes of air pollution in India.

The aftereffects though are devastating because air pollution is a silent killer leading to health problems like respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Kids and senior citizens are the most affected so it’s important to keep them strong through immunity-boosting food and providing a safe environment.

Does air pollution cause climate change?

Emissions of pollutants into the air can result in changes to the climate. These pollutants including greenhouse gasses are often referred to as climate forcers. Ozone in the atmosphere warms the climate while different components of different particles can have either warming or cooling effects on the climate. Air pollutants and greenhouse gases often come from the same sources such as coal-fired power plants and diesel-fueled vehicles. Some air pollutants do not last long in the environment notably black carbon.

Climate change can affect air quality, and certain air pollutants can affect climate change. For example, hot sunny days associated with a warming climate can increase ground-level ozone in some areas. Ground-level ozone is also a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change by trapping heat in the atmosphere. 

Long-term health effects from air pollution include heart disease, lung cancer, and respiratory diseases such as emphysema. Air pollution can also cause long-term damage to people’s nerves, brain, kidneys, liver and other organs.

How has it impacted our lifestyle?

Due to the rapid increase in air pollution, we cannot go out as freely as we used to before. It is always necessary to carry masks. Many parents even prevent their children from playing outdoors due to poor air quality. Parents are naturally worried about how their kid’s health might be affected by exposure to pollutants. 

Ways to prevent indoor air pollution

• Ventilation and shading can help control indoor temperatures. Ventilation also helps remove or dilute indoor airborne pollutants coming from indoor sources.
• Run fans in the kitchen to remove cooking fumes and in bathrooms to remove steam. Also, be sure that your dryer vents to the outside to minimize lint. 
• To reduce the pollen in the air, open the windows, and switch on the exhaust fan to pull bad quality air and throw it out.
• Avoid air fresheners, scented candles, incense, and other odour-masking fragrances which can trigger asthma.
• Use a Microfiber Dusting Cloth as it will capture more dust than a cotton rag.
• To reduce mould, keep moisture down by using a dehumidifier and cleaning the filter regularly.
• An air purifier alone won’t remove all the impurities in your indoor air. But if you’ve gone to the effort to keep allergens and other pollutants out of your home, an air purifier could help to reduce them further.

Everyday pollutants can be introduced into our homes in a number of ways. Some are carried in on a breeze; some are carried in unwittingly by us. “A lot of things come into our homes on our clothing, including pollen and cat allergens,” says Elliott Horner. Other pollutants originate inside the home, such as when you pet your dog and release dander into the air or burn a piece of toast and send smoke streaming into the kitchen. It’s difficult not to generate indoor air pollution in your home, Horner says.

To get rid of impurities, we need to pursue several lines of attack and live a happy and healthy life with our family.