Study Finds Exposure To PM2.5 Increases Health Risks For Indian Children

India is grappling with a concerning health issue among its young population, as a study published in the journal Nature Communications reveals that exposure to fine particle pollution, known as PM2.5, significantly heightens the risk of anaemia, acute respiratory infections, and low birth weight in children. The research, conducted by a team from The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, and other institutions, underscores the alarming impact of air pollution on the health of India's children.

For every 10 micrograms per cubic meter (ug/m3) increase in exposure to PM2.5, the risk of anaemia, acute respiratory infections, and low birth weight in children increases by 10 per cent, 11 per cent, and 5 per cent, respectively. The study relied on health data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-4, a comprehensive household survey conducted between January 20, 2015, and December 4, 2016, across all 640 districts of India.

The researchers analyzed over 1,77,000 observations from the NFHS-4 dataset, focusing on low birth weight, anaemia, and acute respiratory infection as representative indicators of the health challenges faced by children aged 5 or younger (under 5). These parameters are commonly reported public health concerns in India.

Among the findings, it was observed that elemental and organic carbon (OC), nitrates (NO3-), and ammonia (NH4+) were more closely associated with these health outcomes than other PM2.5 components. However, the study noted that various components of PM2.5 originate from different sources, each having unique toxicities, creating a complex mixture.

Low birth weight, a critical health concern, had a national prevalence of 16.6 per cent among the analyzed observations, with a higher prevalence among girls at 17.8 per cent compared to boys at 15.5 per cent. This prevalence was found to vary with factors such as the mother's education, socioeconomic status, body mass index, age, place of residence, and levels of PM2.5 exposure.

Anaemia affected 56.8 per cent of under-5 children in the study, with factors like maternal education, religion, socioeconomic status, place of residence, PM2.5 exposure levels, and maternal anaemia status being associated with its prevalence.

Acute respiratory infections were reported in 2.8 per cent of the children studied, with rural areas showing higher estimated levels compared to urban areas.

The study's findings indicated that the most dominant PM2.5 components were organic carbon (OC), nitrates (NO3-), ammonia (NH4+), and sulphates (SO4), along with other elements like chloride, sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium, soil, and water molecules. These fine particles are predominantly sourced from domestic, industrial, international, agricultural, and transportation sectors.

The researchers also analyzed the impact of sectoral PM2.5 on child health outcomes, attributing exposure to emissions from road dust, transportation, industry, agriculture, domestic sources, and international sources from neighbouring countries. Adverse effects on at least one health endpoint were observed.