The air quality in Delhi has dropped to the ‘very poor’ category. The capital city recorded a 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 356. This is a significant drop in air quality compared to the past two days when the AQI had slightly improved.

According to a report in India Today, on Saturday at 4 pm, the city recorded an AQI of 255. However, the current readings show that several areas in Delhi have ‘severe’ pollution levels which is an AQI above 400.

This morning, AQI readings across Delhi at various monitoring stations registered alarming levels with Alipur at 403, Anand Vihar at 406, Bawana at 404, Jahangirpuri at 414, Nehru Nagar at 408, Sonia Vihar at 401, and Vivek Vihar at 404. In other notable areas, AQI readings remained significantly elevated with ITO reporting an AQI of 367, India Gate at 374 and DU North Campus reporting an AQI of 370.

PWD vehicles in the city are spraying water in parts of the national capital to reduce dust levels.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), air pollution is “contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere.”

AQI between 0-50 is considered “good”, 51-100 is “satisfactory”, 101-200 is “moderate”, 201-300 is “poor”, 301-400 is “very poor”, 401-500 is “severe” and above 500 is a “severe plus”.

Air quality tends to impact several aspects of your health including lungs, heart and brain among others.

Poor air quality has a significant impact on heart health. Pollutants like fine particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide are directly linked to cardiovascular problems. When you inhale these tiny particles and gases, it enters your bloodstream which causes inflammation and oxidative stress which causes damage to the blood vessels. Over time, this leads to the buildup of arterial plaque, increasing the risk of atherosclerosis which is a condition that narrows and hardens the arteries, thereby, affecting blood flow.

Atherosclerosis can also lead to other health issues such as high blood pressure, heart attack and strokes. Studies show that long-term exposure to high levels of air pollution can also increase the risk of heart disease even in people who don’t have other major health risks.

Not just this, poor air quality can also aggravate pre-existing heart conditions by increasing the chances of arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats) and aggravating symptoms of heart failure.

People who are vulnerable such as older adults, children and those with pre-existing heart or lung diseases have a high risk. Short-term exposure to high pollution levels can also trigger acute cardiovascular events. Therefore, it is important to monitor air quality levels, especially on days with poor air quality alerts.

It is also important that you make efforts to reduce exposure like limiting outdoor activities on high-pollution days, using air purifiers indoors and wearing protective masks when necessary can help reduce these risks.

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