Sparse rain has caused dry surfaces to eject more dust into the air, experts said
Pune: Air quality in the city has deteriorated from ‘satisfactory’ to ‘moderate’, pollution data showed, with 24-hour average AQI crossing 100 for the first time last week. Pune city’s AQI on Oct 3 stood at 110, according to data from Central Pollution Control Board. It was 107 on Oct 1 and 112 on Oct 2 with PM10 – from road dust and vehicular emissions – being the prominent pollutant on all three days.
The improvement in air quality during the rainy period is partly due to rainfall removing pollutants from the atmosphere. Because of this weather change, the allergic subset of patients is increasing, “Right now,.
But with weather changes in Oct, when dry heat sets in, we gradually see a worsening,” said Dr Aparna Birajdar, a consultant pulmonologist in the city, adding that she was already seeing the effects in people. Along with them, patients with viral infections have also increased,” Dr Birajdar said. “For patients with asthma or COPD, our two strict instructions are mask usage, preferably an N95, and monitoring AQI before outdoor activities,” she said, adding that on days with poor AQI, patients should preferably exercise indoors. This has overlapped with the increase in cases,” he said. Dr Pophale said the rise in health issues was particularly acute in those with conditions such as COPD and asthma, with pollution acting as an irritant. “For them, indoor pollution is a bigger problem than outdoor air pollution,” he said, suggesting that this aspect should be considered separately while assessing pollution-related respiratory problems.
Now, with rainfall becoming sparse, this cleansing effect has reduced, with dry surfaces throwing up road and soil dust more easily. “Usually, AQI becomes a little better during the rainy season. This includes those with allergic nasal and eye problems, along with bronchitis and asthma. She added that patients with established airway diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) should take greater care when pollution levels rise. Dr Pophale attributed part of the increase to rise in vehicular pollution. “People are now returning to cities from their Ganesh festival holidays, causing a significant rise in vehicular pollution. He cautioned that indoor pollution can be an even bigger concern for some of these patients.