City’s air dangerously polluted - The Hindu

City’s air dangerously polluted - The Hindu: "Bangalore might be called an “air-conditioned city” but its residents are now choking on the most deadly form of air pollution. The respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) level is over four times the national permissible limit in certain areas of the city.

While the permissible limit for RSPM is 60 microgram per cubic metre, the most recent records with the Karnataka Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) reveal that this pollutant was as high as 264 microgram/cubic metre at the AMCO Batteries area on Mysore Road. Even the sensitive area of Victoria Hospital recorded RSPM level of 164 microgram/cubic metre.

The KSPCB monitored air quality in 15 locations across Bangalore — covering industrial area, mixed urban area and sensitive areas (such as hospitals and educational institutions). With the exception of two locations, RSPM level consistently exceeded the permissible limit over the last year. The Central Silk Board area on Hosur Road exceeded the national limit by 191 per cent during this period.

H. Paramesh, paediatric pulmonologist at Lakeside Hospital, said that among all air pollutants, the RSPM was the worst kind as the particulate was extremely minute (usually about 2.5 microns) and could easily enter the body. “The particulate matter causes inflammation in various parts of the body, triggers asthma, leads to oxygen deficiency and cardio-respiratory diseases,” he said."



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