Air quality in Raurkela

Is the air in Raurkela badly polluted?

Raurkela is a city located in the northern region of the Indian state of Odisha, which itself is situated on the eastern portion of India, being the eighth largest state when taken by sheer size, as well as the eleventh largest when the population is taken into account. Odisha was formerly known as Orissa, and the region can also be referred to as Utkala. In regards to its current levels of air pollution, in the early days of 2022, very high levels of pollution were seen, with US AQI readings and PM2.5 concentrations being dangerously high and far above levels that are deemed safe for any member of the population. Whilst this is not a year-round occurrence, the fact that these sudden and quite significant spikes can occur within Raurkela is a cause for concern, as well as making the need for preventative measures all the more important. Such measures can include the wearing of fine particle filtering masks, due to the high concentration of fine particulate matter in the air (PM2.5 and PM10, with the former being the far more dangerous of the two due to its microscopic size allowing it to penetrate deep into the lungs and cross into the bloodstream via the blood barrier).

US AQI readings taken in early February of 2022 came in at 465, placing Raurkela into the hazardous air quality rating bracket, the highest possible one that there is (with its accompanying maroon color-coding, with each level of air pollution carrying with it a color to indicate the danger levels, with cleaner readings having lighter colors such as blue, green and yellow, and the far more dangerous having red, purple and maroon). The reasons as to why air pollution levels are so high will be discussed in further detail in the following questions, as there are a large variety of them ranging from year-round ambient causes to more acute and sudden ones that can cause dangerous spikes to appear, in regards to pollution readings. When the above-mentioned US AQI reading of 465 was taken, the accompanying PM2.5 concentration was found to be only 2.7 times above the World Health Organization's (WHO's) annual safe exposure standards. The carbon monoxide reading however was the main pollutant of concern, with a level far beyond any of the other main pollutants, which will also be discussed further in the article. As such, the air in Raurkela is showing particularly dangerous levels of certain air contaminants in early 2022 and preventative measures such as avoiding outdoor strenuous activity as well as closing doors and windows to prevent indoor air pollution levels from rising can be utilized. Staying up to date on pollution readings and forecasts can be followed either via this page or by downloading the AirVisual app, both of which can aid in knowing when there will be higher levels of smoke, haze, clouds of fine particles or other dangerous chemical compounds in the air within Odisha and Raurkela.

What are the most significant causes of air pollution in Raurkela?

There are a huge variety of different polluting sources present throughout Odisha and Raurkela. Among them are both industrial and manmade causes (factories, power plants, vehicle usage as well as open burning of farmland, forested areas, as well as setting fire to refuse and garbage, more commonly seen in lower-income areas or less developed parts of the state and city). Regarding vehicles, they present an issue because not only do they require a form of combustion within their engines (with a majority of air pollution stemming from a multitude of combustion sources taking place annually, in an almost relentless fashion), but many vehicles in use in Raurkela may be older, worn down and have lower quality engines that have seen better days. To compounds this further, lower quality fuels are sometimes used, along with fossil fuels such as diesel also being utilized in larger vehicles such as lorries and trucks. Old cars and motorbikes can give out large amounts of noxious oil vapors, as well as churn out far more dangerous particles than a newer or more environmentally friendly counterpart would. The above-mentioned heavy-duty or freight vehicles such as trucks can also be significant offenders, giving out vast clouds of black smoke, as well as the breakdown of tire treads causing tons of microscopic rubber particles to be released into the environment over the years. As such, vehicles are one of the more consistent, or year-round contributors to air pollution in Raurkela, but there are also many other sources present. These include dust and particles thrown up by poorly paved roads (assisted by having a high quantity of vehicles driving over them daily), along with the open burning of refuse and waste, although this continues to be on a decline throughout Asia due to more stringent rules being introduced (although they are not always adhered to strictly, particularly in more rural areas where these practices can continue unabated due to lack of education as well as sufficient enforcement). Brick kilns using low-quality or dirty fuels can contribute largely, along with emissions from factories, industrial sites and other similar areas. These are all many factors that cause pollution levels to be high in Raurkela, with different areas of the city naturally having these factors in varying quantities. In regards to the extremely high levels of carbon monoxide seen in February of 2022, this may be stemming from any number of combustion sources (which all produce carbon monoxide, with vehicles having a large role in this) all accumulating to form the excessive figures on record.

Is the air unhealthy to breathe in Raurkela and what are some side effects?

Air pollution in Raurkela can be extremely detrimental to one’s health, so not only is it dangerous to individuals who live in Raurkela, but it can also have long-lasting effects that can cause a myriad of health issues in the next generation due to damage to the environment, as well as residual pollutants being left in the soil and water, as well as making their way into the food chain and thus ending up in people. Some more common health issues include dry coughs and accompanying chest infections, along with some ailments that fall under the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) category. These include asthma, bronchitis, emphysema and pneumonia, all of which can be both caused or aggravated by breathing excessive (or even smaller) amounts of pollution in Raurkela. Other issues include early deaths linked directly to pollution exposure, with terminal illnesses such as various forms of cancer contributing to this. Heart attacks, strokes and many other pulmonary or cardiac issues are all real possibilities when breathing high amounts of air pollution in Raurkela.

Does air pollution affect certain people more significantly in Raurkela?

People that are affected the most by air pollution exposure in Raurkela include the elderly, along with young children, pregnant mothers, as well as those that have pre-existing health conditions or compromised immune systems. Extra care should be taken by these groups to ensure that more chronic or acute conditions are avoided.

What types of pollution are you exposed to when breathing the air in Raurkela?

Some of the main air pollutants found in Raurkela would be those that make up the US AQI figure, which are the two forms of particle pollution, PM10 and PM2.5, along with nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, the aforementioned ozone, and carbon monoxide. Other pollutants include black carbon and Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), with some examples of VOCs including benzene, toluene, xylene, methylene chloride as well as formaldehyde.