Delhi's Pollution Crisis Worsens As Microplastics Choke The Air, Study Warns

A new study conducted by Indian researchers has highlighted Delhi's worsening pollution crisis with microplastics being found in three key particulate matter categories: PM10, PM2.5 and PM1. The findings show that adults in the national capital inhale almost twice as many microplastic particles in summer as they do in winter. The average daily microplastic exposure rose from 10.7 particles in the colder months to 21.1 in the hotter season -- highlighting a 97 per cent jump.

The study, conducted by scientists from Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune and Savitribai Phule Pune University, during the summer and winter months in Delhi found a total of 2,087 microplastics across all particulate samples.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), widely used in bottles, food packaging and textiles, was the most common type (41 per cent) of microplastic found, followed by polyethylene (27 per cent), polyester (18 per cent), polystyrene (9 per cent) and PVC (5 per cent).

Average concentrations were 1.87 microplastics per cubic metre for PM10, 0.51 microplastics per cubic metre for PM2.5, and 0.49 microplastics per cubic metre for PM1.

Though no safe threshold for inhaling microplastics has been established, the study warned that constant exposure to these tiny materials could lead to increased cases of bronchitis, pneumonia, lung inflammation and even cancer.

"Among the age groups, adults showed the highest intake rates, likely due to greater daily inhalation volumes and outdoor activities. However, the relative health risk could be more significant for younger children and infants, given their developing respiratory systems, higher breathing rates relative to body weight, and greater physiological vulnerability," the study highlighted.

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Microplastic menace

Plastic production has grown from 1.5 million tonnes in the 1950s to 400.3 million tonnes in 2022. However, the increased manufacture of single-use plastics has also led to a rise in garbage found in terrestrial and aquatic habitats due to inefficient waste management.

Microplastics, the tiny pieces of plastic smaller than five millimetres, have been spotted, ranging from the Mariana Trench to Mount Everest. Such has been their infiltration in our surroundings that they are found in human brains, placentas, and even the bellies of fish deep in the ocean.

In June, a study released by France's food safety agency, ANSES, claimed that glass bottles contain more microplastics than plastic bottles. On average, the glass bottles of soft drinks, lemonade, iced tea and beer contained around 100 microplastic particles per litre, up to 50 times higher than in plastic or metal containers.