Dr. Piyush Ranjan of AIIMS said that while studies have linked air pollution to coronary artery disorders like heart attacks, strokes, and arthritis, cancer etc. it also poses a serious risk to respiratory health.
As the pollution situation in the city worsened, health experts warned that Delhi’s “severe” air pollution levels might have a major impact on the health of the city’s citizens.
Residents of the city have been urged by experts to take precautions against being exposed to the hazardous air. There is sufficient evidence, according to Dr. Piyush Ranjan of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), to suggest that outdoor air pollution exposure can lead to cancer in people.
Air pollution puts the respiratory system at risk for dangerous harm. But according to Dr. Ranjan, research has also shown a clear connection between coronary artery disorders like arthritis, heart attacks, and strokes and air pollution.
“It’s critical to realize that, in addition to producing respiratory illnesses, air pollution has an impact on several bodily systems. Arthritis, heart attacks, strokes, and coronary artery illnesses are all directly related to pollution. We possess scientific proof linking it to many forms of cancer,” Dr. Ranjan, an additional professor at AIIMS’s Department of Medicine, told news agency ANI.
Experts caution that there are several ways in which air pollution can lead to cancer. It has the potential to damage DNA, which could result in the growth of cancer cells.
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Inflammation brought on by air pollution can impair immunity and make it harder for the body to fight against cancer cells.
Furthermore, air pollution has been linked to an increased risk of foetal damage. Continuous exposure can also harm the brain and heart and may trigger anxiety across all age groups if precautions are not taken.
Vehicular emission is the main source of PM2.5 pollution in Delhi. Meanwhile, PM2.5 particles are the smallest and most dangerous type of particulate matter, as they can easily penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream. Vehicles also make up 80 per cent of nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide in Delhi’s air.
