Paper: GS – III, Subject: Environment and Ecology, Topic: Pollution, Issue: Air Quality beyond PM 2.5.
Context:
The study by Abhijit Chatterjee and his team highlights key findings regarding the toxicity of PM2.5 air pollutants and their implications for air quality standards.
Key Highlights:
Mechanism of Toxicity:
- When inhaled, pollutants trigger the immune system to release Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) to combat foreign substances.
- Increased levels of ROS can lead to oxidative stress, damaging internal cells due to the body’s inability to produce sufficient antioxidants quickly enough.
About PM2.5:
- It is a fine, inhalable particle, generally 2.5 micrometres of diameter or smaller.
- PM 2.5 have small diameters but they can spread over large surface areas.
- Due to its smaller size, the particulate matter can be drawn deep in the lungs and can be more harmful as compared to PM 10.
- It can penetrate the lung deeply, irritate and corrode the epithelial walls and consequently impair lung function.
- The combustion of gasoline, oil, diesel fuel or wood produces much of the PM 2.5.
- They are capable of carrying various toxic stuff, passing through the filtration of nose hair, reaching the end of the respiratory tract with airflow and accumulating there by diffusion, damaging other parts of the body through air exchange in the lungs.
- PM 2.5 was one of the causative factors of human non-accidental death, particularly in the elderly.
Implication of Air Quality Management:
Conclusion:
The research underscores the need for a shift in how air quality is assessed and managed. By recognizing the role of toxicity in addition to concentration, public health policies can be better tailored to safeguard human health in urban environments like Kolkata and beyond.
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