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MUMBAI: The toxic nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) levels in the city’s atmosphere are alarmingly high and are already taking a toll on Mumbaikars’ health, a recent report ‘Beyond North India: NO₂ Pollution and Health Risks in Seven Major Indian Cities’ based on pollution levels of 2023 revealed. The city’s constantly congested road traffic emission is the main culprit behind this toxicity, it indicated.
“Last year, the city’s annual average NO₂ concentration exceeded the WHO health guideline at 22 of 24 Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS). Malad West recorded the highest levels, followed by Bandra Kurla, a roadside station near a bus depot. Daily NO₂ averages also surpassed the guideline, with Mazgaon and Sion exceeding the limit for over 70% of the year. Mazgaon recorded 267 days above the limit,” the report brought out by Greenpeace India stated.
Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) is a near-invisible toxic gas closely linked to traffic and fuel burning, common in urban areas. Vehicles and energy generation from fossil fuel are important sources of NO₂, which can cause lung and respiratory diseases mainly among children. An estimated death due to higher exposure to NO2, as suggested by the summary of the report, was higher in Mumbai at 5,400, followed by Kolkata and Bengaluru.
Overwhelming scientific evidence links NO₂ exposure to adverse health impacts such as the risk of asthma, airway inflammation, respiratory irritation, and worsening of existing respiratory conditions. It can impair lung development, intensify allergies, and increase susceptibility to respiratory mortality and death from circulatory diseases, ischemic heart disease, and lung cancer. Children are the most affected by continuous exposure to unhealthy concentrations of NO₂, with 3,970 cases of paediatric asthma attributed to NO2 pollution in the city in 2015.
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