Air Pollution and Cancer in India case study

Background info

- Levels of air pollution in India are among the highest in the world.
- 2015: air pollution found to reduce average life expectancy by more than 3 years.
- WHO: 99% of India's 1.2 billion people breathe polluted air above safe levels.

Pollution causes:

- Emissions of particulates, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and ozone.
- Principally by motor vehicles, coal-burning power stations and factories.
- Indoor air pollution

indoor air pollution

- Especially in rural areas
- Houses lack electricity and depend on biomass fuels (animal dung) for heating and parrafin for cooking and lighting.
- From these sources: responsible for 1 million premature deaths per year.

Particulate pollution

- Biggest threat to human health
- Tiny airborne particles released by burning f.f. and penetrate into lungs.
- Cause serious respiratory problems (asthma + bronchitis)
- Also cause lung + heart disease and cancer.
- Result of PM 2.5 pollution, residents' risk from lung cancer in Delhi increased by 70%.

Particulate matter (PM) levels

- WHOs guidelines set safe PM 2.5 pollution levels = 10 micrograms/m.
- India sets permissible levels at 40 micrograms/m.
- PM 2.5 exceeds this in most large cities: Delhi winter months = + 600 micrograms/m.

Effects

- 2018: 12/15 most polluted cities in the world = Indian.
- Close relationship between air pollution in Delhi and elevated levels of mortality and morbidity.
- Urban areas = 1.7 x higher respiratory symptoms and diseases (asthma) than less-polluted rural areas.

Dehli characteristics

- Lung funtion of inhabitants = 40% reduced compared with 21% in rural areas.
- Recently: pollution rising, Delhi experienced rise in pollution-related cancers (lung and bladder cancer.)
- Smoking = biggest cause of lung cancer, but 1/5 = non-smoker.
- 20% increase in past 10 years.

Solutions overview

- Indian governments in denial about human and economic costs of air pollution.
- Prioritise economic growth.
- Dehli 2011: the poor bear the brunt of city's toxic air because of where they live and work.
- Sustained pressure from civil society and Indian courts over the past few years have produced a change.

National solutions

- Government launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in 2019.
- Year later: progress made by increasing number of air quality monitoring stations.
- In terms of controlled pollution: progress has been slow.
- Gov launched NCAP as long-term national-level strategy to tackle problem across India.
- Set targets of 20-30 % reduction in PM 10 and 2.5 concentrations by 2024.
- But targets not legally binding - often no penalties lead to disappointing outcomes.

Progress that has been made so far:

- Bihar: chimneys of brick kilns retro-fitted to reduce smoke emissions.
- 14 Indian cities building rapid-transit metro systems.
- Subsidies for petrol + diesel scrapped: 1/3 electricity produced by noxious generators.
-Restrictions placed on burning of stubble in fields (major pollution cause.)

Global solutions:

- Benefits for human health at national and local levels by cutting GHG emissions.
- EU active in combatting air pollution.
- Global initiatives include World Cancer Day to raise awareness of current global cancer epidemic and press govs to take more action to tackle the disease.

EU scheme:

- Member states allocated €1.8 billion to support air quality measures under the European Structural and Investment Funds.
- 2019: European Commission proposed to invest €1 billion in 39 clean transport projects to upgrade Europe's rail network, develop alternative fuels, infrastruture and introduce zero-emission water transport.

EU: cap and trade

- EU also has world's largest carbon cap-and-trade scheme: each state has targets for expanding renewable energy and policies to comply with European Climate Change Programme.