A new study finds an increased level of mercury in Delhiās air. Scientists highlight that the level of mercury in the air is 6.9 nanograms per cubic meter, which is much higher than the national average of 1.7 nanograms in North India and 1.3 nanograms in South India. The study conducted by the scientists of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, was published in Air Quality, Atmosphere, and Health, an environmental-based journal by Springer.
The study included data from 2018 to 2024 and found the presence of the gaseous pollutant in the capitalās air. Over 72 to 92 per cent of the mercury is attributed to human activities and industrial pollution. The rest was due to natural factors. Delhi NCR is the most polluted region in the world. The study confirms how the different elements play their part in the intoxicating air.
The WHO has listed mercury as one of the most toxic metals in its top 10 most poisonous chemicals for human health category. However, the earlier studies found mercury levels in Delhi under safety limits. The new research shows that the variations in distribution and sources have probable health implications. The research came as a warning for Delhi, but it also hints at a positive trend as the measurements are decreasing in the period of study, unlike the earlier trends.
Earlier, another study found that the number of microplastics in Delhiās air is more than the normal permissible limits. Another trend found in the study highlighted that residents of Delhi inhale more microplastics in summer than in winter. Microplastics can go inside vital organs and damage their functioning. Reports from the international fraternity have found that microplastics have been found in the follicular fluids and brain cells, depicting their danger and permeability.
The microplastic invasion is dangerous as the limits of microplastics are not established, and experts predict that exposure to it for long durations can affect the human body and cause various chronic diseases, like lung cancer and heart ailments.
