Health effects of airborne particulate matter and the Indian scenario

Airborne suspended particulate matter (SPM) is a serious worldwide concern since it is linked with adverse health effects. Several epidemiological studies have been made across the world revealing the association of SPM in air with acute and chronic respiratory disorders, lung cancer, morbidity and mortality. Odds ratio estimated by several studies of the dose–response relationship for particulate matter (PM)-associated respiratory sickness and premature mortality, increased with rise in PM levels. Associations have been found with cardiovascular deaths, with myocardial infarctions and ventricular fibrillation. PM is also associated with autonomic function of the heart, including increased heart-rate, decreased heart-rate variability and increased cardiac arrythmias. Such health disorders are widely seen in urban areas worldwide that suffer from serious air-quality problems due to increasing population, combined with change in land use and vehicular traffic. In India, haphazard urbanization, unprecedented vehicular emissions and inadequate infrastructure development are supplementary factors for the fall in air-quality. Challenge for the future generation in India lies in grappling the menace of air pollution-induced diseases, where already the public health is in a worrying state with a variety of diseases. This article attempts a brief review of atmospheric PM, its inhalation, deposition and toxicity, with experiences from the western countries and the current Indian scenario.