Delhi has been in the hot box for the last few years, for having one of the worst air quality levels as per the data released by World Health Organization (WHO). WHO has set the parameters of measuring Air Quality Levels by measurement of the suspended particle matter of size PM10 and PM2.5, measured in the units of μg/m3.
PM10 refers to particle having size as 10 micron or 10 x 10-6 , PM2.5 refers to particle with size of 2.5 micron or 2.5 x 10-6. PM2.5 is generally called a fine particle. By way of comparison, a human hair is about 100 microns, so roughly 40 fine particles could be placed on its width.
PM10 is a harmful particle and it causes a lot of respiratory issues such as allergy, bronchitis, asthma and many other issues. PM2.5 on the other hand is something that our respiratory tract cannot even filter and enters our lungs and our bloodstream and can attack the heart, causing severe issues of Lung Cancer, TB, Heart Attacks and other severe health problems.
The permissible levels set as per WHO standards and what we have in the different parts of our city is what we have shared with you on our website indiancrusaders.com, the data being live calculations coming from govt. authorized agencies.
| RISK LEVEL | PM 10 Reading in μg/m3 | PM2.5 Reading in μg/m3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relatively No Risk | 0-75 | 0-50 |
| Moderate Risk | 75-150 | 50-100 |
| High Risk | 150-250 | 100-150 |
| Severe Risk (Critical) | 250+ | 150+ |
Although PM10 and Pm2.5 both happen to be of significance importance but PM2.5 is more critical size and new studies present clear evidence that PM2.5 is more harmful than PM10. Physically also this makes sense - smaller than particle, more probability that it will go deeper into the lungs and harm us. This is also one of the important reasons for WHO to push for all countries to have standards for PM2.5.
