Doctors say that if the AQI is poor, then the chances of developing anxiety, depression and irritability in the person are very high. Low tolerance and violence among children are also associated with poor AQI.
A slight improvement was seen in the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital Delhi on Monday morning. According to the weather forecast system SAFAR, Delhi's air quality dropped to the 'very poor' category on Monday morning after being in the 'severe' category for three consecutive days last week. The Air Quality Index (AQI) of the city stood at 326 on Monday morning. While Noida, which is part of the National Capital Region, recorded an AQI of 356, Gurugram's AQI stood at 364 and remained in the 'very poor category' as per the data released.
A recent survey of 19,000 people in Delhi-NCR found that four out of every five households in the region claimed to have experienced pollution-related illnesses in the past few weeks. The participants in the survey included residents of Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad.
80 percent of households affected by air pollution
The survey conducted by LocalCircles (a community social media platform that conducts surveys on issues related to governance, public and consumer interest) found that 18 percent of the total people went to the doctor because of these problems.
Apart from this, the data showed that 80 percent of the households surveyed had at least one member of every family who was facing some kind of respiratory problem due to air pollution. Many physical health hazards are associated with air pollution, while Delhi-based neuropsychiatrist Dr Sanjay Chugh said that the mental health of people has also deteriorated due to pollution. “There have been many such cases which show that polluted air has had a negative impact on the mental, emotional, practical health of the people,” he said.
The brain cannot function properly due to low oxygen levels
According to the study, air pollution is associated with increased severity of mental illness. A study of 13,000 people in London found that even a small increase in exposure to nitrogen dioxide increased the risk of needing community-based treatment by 32 percent and the risk of hospitalization by 18 percent. .
Dr Chugh explained, “One of the basic things that is needed for the proper functioning of the human brain is oxygen. And when the AQI is poor and the pollution is high, we do not get the amount of oxygen we need through breathing."
When oxygen levels start to drop, there is structural and functional damage to brain tissue and brain cells. According to experts, this causes swelling inside the brain, due to which our emotional and social behavior can be adversely affected.
Loss of tolerance in children and risk of Alzheimer's disease in adults
He said, “For example, it is well known that if the AQI is poor, then the chances of developing anxiety, depression and irritability in a person are very high. Low tolerance and violence among children are also associated with poor AQI. It also affects their ability to focus. Really poor AQI also affects the ability to remember.
Dr Chugh further said, “Poor AQI can increase the risk of diseases like Alzheimer’s. From this we can conclude that air pollution is very dangerous for the human brain.”
What can be done?
Chugh said that the air quality should not be allowed to deteriorate so much. However, he said, "This is possible only when changes are made at the grassroots level."
He concluded by saying, “Air purifiers work well but we don't always stay in closed spaces. As soon as we step out of the house, especially in this season and in a place like Delhi, our brain comes in contact with many toxic substances. And it takes a lot of time to eliminate those toxic substances effectively. So, as I said, there is a need to make changes at the ground level because we have a very difficult situation in front of us.
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