On a national average, the particulate matter pollution in India is ten times the limit recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). According to the report, the nationwide situation is even worse in Central African Chad, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to IQAir, 14 of the 20 urban areas most heavily polluted with the dangerous PM2.5 particulate matter worldwide are located in India. On average, the PM2.5 particulate matter pollution in India in 2024 was 50.6 micrograms per cubic meter.

Particulate Matter Pollution: Countries and Cities Above and Below WHO Limits

Although the value has decreased by seven percent compared to the previous year, it is still ten times higher than the WHO limit, explained IQAir. The particulate matter pollution in India is primarily due to road traffic, the deliberate burning of agricultural land, as well as waste and industrial emissions.

However, according to the report, the country with the highest particulate matter pollution is Chad. In the Central African country, an average of 91.8 micrograms of PM2.5 particulate matter per cubic meter was measured in 2024. This is mainly attributed to the dust from the vast sandy Bodélé Depression, according to IQAir. Following Chad on the negative ranking are Bangladesh and Pakistan in South Asia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa, and then India.

According to IQAir, only seven of the countries examined met the WHO limit of 5.0 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023: Estonia, Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, as well as the Caribbean states of the Bahamas, Grenada, and Barbados. Of the cities examined, 17 percent met the WHO standard, compared to only nine percent in 2023.

Air Pollution as the Greatest Risk to Human Health

Particulate matter particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5), roughly the diameter of a human hair, penetrate deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream. This causes numerous cases of lung and heart diseases. According to the "State of Global Air 2024" report by the US institutions Health Effects Institute and Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, air pollution was the greatest environmental risk to human health in 2021. It reportedly led to 8.1 million premature deaths worldwide.

For its annual report, IQAir stated that it evaluated data from more than 40,000 measuring stations at 8,954 locations in 138 countries and territories. Satellite images or model calculations were not used in the study.

(APA/Red.)

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