Air quality in Tiruchirappalli

What is the current air quality in Tiruchirappalli?

Tiruchirappalli (formerly Trichinopoly), also called Tiruchi or Trichy, is a major tier II city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Tiruchirappalli district. It is located 322 kilometres south of Chennai, which more or less, puts it in the very centre of the state. Overall it is situated in the south-eastern section of the Indian subcontinent. In 2011 it had an estimated population of almost 1 million residents.

At the beginning of 2021, Tiruchirappalli was experiencing a period of air quality classed as being “Unhealthy for sensitive groups” with a US AQI reading of 117. This is according to classifications suggested by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The PM2.5 concentration was recorded as being 42.2 µg/m³. These levels are high so the advice is to close doors and windows to prevent the ingress of dirty air into the house. Those of a sensitive disposition should avoid venturing outside until the air quality has improved. If this is unavoidable, then a good quality mask should be worn at all times.

Is Tiruchirappalli very polluted?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) released a report on polluted cities in May last year. According to this report, 13 of the top 20 most polluted cities in the world are from India. The WHO has stated in its report that these cities have the highest annual density of PM2.5. PM2.5 are the microorganisms involved in the pollution that is considered to be the most dangerous to the human body because of their microscopic size.

According to the WHO, 9 out of every 10 people in the world breathe heavily polluted air. According to this, 'Every year, 7 million people die due to outdoor and domestic air pollution worldwide. The number of people who died in 2016 from external pollution alone was close to 4200, while the number of deaths due to domestic air pollution is 3800. Death due to heart-related disease, respiratory disease and other diseases due to air pollution.

What are the main sources of pollution in Tiruchirappalli?

The reason behind Tiruchirappalli’s bad air is mainly vehicle emissions, the grime arising from the construction of buildings, brick kilns and the burning of crops around the city.

Air pollution is called the adulteration of pollutants in the air which is very harmful to human health and for this planet. There are two main sources of air pollution, natural and human resources.

The process of contamination of air due to natural and human causes is called air pollution. There are two main sources of air pollution: natural and human.

Pollution from human sources is caused by industries, factories, transport, domestic works, agricultural work, thermal power plants, hazardous air pollutants, greenhouse gases, mining, chemical materials and solvents.

There are many sources in nature that pollute the atmosphere. These include volcanic activity, forest fires, organic waste etc. The lava, pieces of rock, water vapour, ash, various gases, etc. emitted during volcanic eruptions contaminate the atmosphere. Due to forest fire, ash, smoke and gases etc. pollute the air.

Methane gas contaminates the atmosphere due to rotting organic matter in marshy areas. Apart from this, fog, meteorites, microorganisms, pollen, sea minerals also play an important role in air pollution.

How can the quality of Tiruchirappalli’s air be improved?

High chimneys between 80 to 100 metres high to control the exhausts generated by combustion, moisture and smoke in the atmosphere. These high chimneys emit the smoke up high where it gets blown away by the prevailing winds. Strict restrictions should be enforced at the national level on the establishment of all types of industries that smoke in the enclosure and cause special pollution in the atmosphere.

Controlling smoke emanating from vehicles is the first requirement. Vehicles must not emit fumes above a certain level. If this is the case then special improvements must be made for energy testing and smoke control.

The compulsory development of green belts should be done around canal roads and rail routes. Full maintenance and record of trees should be maintained by planting them regularly. Wherever space is available around buildings, trees should be planted.

Vehicles older than 15 years are banned in many cities due to their high rates of pollution. Diesel vehicles are also under strict controls due to their high carbon emissions.

However, there is also a matter of taking some serious steps in the government proposal, such as shutting down power plants, cleaning the roads with vacuum cleaners, banning the movement of trucks and banning parking on some roads.

What are the health implications of Tiruchirappalli’s polluted air?

Air pollution from particulate matter (PM) is mainly the result of the burning of fossil fuels. It is considered the deadliest form of air pollution worldwide.

It has more impact on some regions of the world than other regions. In the United States where pollution is less, it reduces life expectancy by only 0.1 years from the World Health Organisation guidelines. But in China and India, where pollution is high, the average life expectancy will increase by 2.9 years and 4.3 years, respectively, by reducing the concentration of particulate matter to the level of the World Health Organization guidelines.

Particulate matter (PM) means solid or liquid particles of smoke, dust, and other things that are suspended in the air. When air is polluted with particulate matter, these particles enter our breathing system with the oxygen our body needs.

When the particulate matter enters our nose or mouth through the breath, the fate of each particle depends on its size because the smaller the particles, the deeper they go inside our body. PM with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres is included in the 'fully suspended substances' (TSP). They are so small that the hairs in the nose cannot stop them and go inside. They pass through our respiratory tract into our lungs where the metal elements present on the surface of the particles oxidize the lung cells, damage their DNA and increase the risk of causing cancer.

Even healthy people can experience detrimental health impacts from polluted air including respiratory irritation or breathing difficulties during exercise or outdoor activities. The actual risk of adverse effects depends on the current health status, the pollutant type and concentration, and the length of exposure to the polluted air.