An Overview of Air Pollution and Its Impact on Human Health in Kolkata

This paper consists the overview of air pollution in the Kolkata Municipal area in between the time span of 2018 to 2022 to analyse the trend of air pollution in the area and its impact on human health. For this purpose some cartographic techniques have been used to analyse the data. Different calculations have been done with different data sets to analyse the trend.


Introduction
The air we breathe is an essential ingredient for our wellbeing and a healthy life.But unfortunately air has been polluted.There is no doubt that air pollution existed in ancient times, but it was much less severe and less widespread than today.According to Mishra (2003) rapid growth in urban population, increasing industrialization, and rising demands for energy and motor vehicles are the worsening air pollution levels.Air pollution effects human health as well as the climatic condition and indirectly effects the economic condition of the place.Meteorological factors, vehicle emission, industrialisation and many other natural and man-made causes increase the level of pollutants in air.In India air quality is a very important issue now a days and Kolkata is one of the most polluted cities in India after Delhi (Kolkata news, 19.11.2020).For these reasons this topic is needed to be enlightened.

Types of air pollution
Pollutants that are emitted directly from identifiable sources, produced both by natural events (for example, dust storms and volcanic eruptions) and human activities (emission from vehicles, industries, • Email: editor@ijfmr.com

IJFMR240112692
Volume 6, Issue 1, January-February 2024 2 etc.) are referred to as primary pollutants.There are five primary pollutants that together contribute about 90 per cent of the global air pollution.These are carbon oxides, 5 nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides, volatile organic compounds (mostly hydrocarbons) and suspended particulate matter.Those substances that are not directly emitted into the atmosphere, but rather are formed by chemical reactions in the atmosphere are referred to as secondary pollutants.Acid rain is a form of secondary pollution because it results from processes occurring within the atmosphere after primary pollutants such as SO2 are emitted from exhaust stacks and other sources.

Literature review-
Several literatures have been studied to understand about the air pollution in Kolkata and its effect on health of citizen of Kolkata.
• According to Mishra (2003), poor environmental regulation, less efficient technology of production, congested roads, and age and poor maintenance of vehicles, also add to the problem.He further added that air pollution is caused of ill health and death by natural and man-made sources, major man-made sources of ambient air pollution include tobacco smoke, combustion of solid fuels for cooking, heating, home cleaning agents, insecticides industries, automobiles, power generation, poor environmental regulation, less efficient technology of production, congested roads, and age and poor maintenance of vehicles.
• WBPCB published annual report on air pollution of Kolkata and pointed out that the air pollution level in Kolkata is observed too high in industrial and residential area also.

Objectives-
The objectives of the study resolves around the following goals, which successful achievement can provide fruitful solutions for the existing problem. 1.To identify the air pollution zones in Kolkata.2. To find out the different sources of air pollution.3. To assess the harmful effects of air on health.

4.
To know the steps that should be taken to reduce air pollution.

Methodology-
The whole case study has been done with the help of secondary data.The data has been collected from West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB).For case study 5 places have been selected according to their location namely Shyambazar, Behala, Tollygaunge, Minto Park, Picnic Garden.From 2018-2022 5 years have been selected for the study.To represent the status of air pollution in different parts of Kolkata various cartographic techniques have been used in the study to show the selected 4 pollutants which are PM2.5, P.M 10, NO2, SO2.
The AQI is calculated in the following process-The data reading is devided by the national standard and multiplied by 100 to get the AQI for the pollutant.Several factors cause air pollution in Kolkata and among them the main factor is transportation, where the abundance of poorly-maintained vehicles, use of petrol fuel, and poor controlling are making transportation the major air polluting sector.Additionally, there are three thermal power plants operating in and around Kolkata, and some small-scale industries which also affects the air quality.An analysis of different sources of air pollution in Kolkata has revealed that motor vehicles are the leading contributor to air pollution (53%) which is followed by industry (25%) and dust particles (22%), respectively.
Major findings-  • Meteorological factors and AQI of Kolkata-It is seen from the data collected from IMD and WBPCB that there is a direct relation of air quality with the meteorological factors like rainfall, temperature, humidity etc.For this analysis the average value of rainfall and temperature of 2018-2022 was taken and compared with the value of AQI of Kolkata of the same time period.
From the analysis of the data it is clearly seen that when the temperature is moderate and rainfall is very high, then the level of air pollution comes in a good state.In case of June-Sept the air quality become in a good condition and the value of AQI decreases (average 66.3) as the quantity of rainfall increases (287-359 mm) and temperature becomes moderate( 28-30 deg Celsius).
When the quantity of rainfall starts decreasing the value of AQI increases and the air quality becomes poor.In case of Nov-feb as the rainfall decreased, the pollutants and dusts rises more and effects the air quality.It is seen that in case of every station the amount of AQI was lowest in the covid period than the other two periods.In 2018-19 the value of AQI was highest among all the periods due to normal amount of vehicle emission and the normal amount of industrialization.But in covid period, 2020, due to the lockdown, every thing was stopped, people were bounded in their home.For these reasons the number of pollutants became decrease.
In the post covid period, all things were started to get normal, people started their common outdoor activities.That's why the AQI increased but not as the post covid period, because of the presence of covid and the restrictions.Data source-West Bengal Pollution Control Board.

Impact of air pollution on human health-
Fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) is 30 times thinner than a human hair and can be inhaled deeply into lung tissue.It accounts for most health effects due to air pollution.Air pollution can affect lung development and is associated with emphysema, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).PM 10 and nitrogen oxide have been linked to chronic bronchitis.Cardiovascular disease -Air pollution can aggravate heart and cardiovascular system in many ways.PM 2.5 can impair blood vessel function and speed up calcification in arteries.Cancer-Many types of cancer are associated with air pollution.
• Researchers found that occupational exposure to benzene, an industrial chemical and component of gasoline, can cause leukaemia and is associated with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.• A long-term study, 2000-2016, found an association between lung cancer incidence and increased reliance on coal for energy generation.

Conclusions-
The study shows the different sources, effects, problems, suggestive measures to control air pollution in Kolkata.It has been found that vehicles, factories, road dust etc are the major sources of air pollution in Kolkata.Several health impacts such as COPD, emphysema, asthma etc has been occur in human health that causes due to air pollution.In these circumstances the local administration, ngos and local public should take necessary steps to improve air quality.

•
According to European Public Health Alliance, 2009, The natural sources of air pollution include incinerators and waste disposals, forest and agricultural fires.• According to Prof. Masood Ahsan Siddiqui et al (2010), three factors account for the air pollution-(i) less human population, (ii) small consumption per person and (iii) very basic types of materials used.

Table 2 , Sources Of Air Pollution Source:
Compiled by Researcher from WBPCB, 2005.

Figure 3, Pie Diagram Of The Various Sources Of Air Pollution
Shyambazar obtained the highest amount of pm 2.5 and pm 10 (43.6 and 92.7) picnic garden and minto park obtained the highest amount of no2 and so2 respectively in the value of 49.3 and 6.67.In 2021, Shyambazar obtained highest number of each pollutants (pm 10-117.42,pm 2.5-43.79,no2-40.37 and so2 6.75) and behala was lowest in case of pm 2.5 (36.21), tollygaunge was lowest in case of no2, so2 and pm 10(34.23,4.33, 56.31 respectively).In 2022, shyambazar was highest for pm 2.5(44.8)and picnic garden was highest for no2, so2 and pm 10 with the value of 48.3, 9.5, 130.7 respectively.In minto park pm 2.5 was observed in the lowest condition with the value of 35.3 and tollygaunge was observed with lowest value in case of no2, so2 and pm 10 with the value of 37.1, 3.3 and 65.4 respectively.In case of Tollygaunge and picnic garden the value pf pm 2.5 was not observed.
• Treand of each pollutants in each station 2018-2022-From the collected data from WBPCB 2018-2022, the level of 4 pollutants pm 10, pm 2.5, so2 and no2 are represented by simple bar diagram of each station.In 2018, highest amount of pm 2.5 was in Shyambazar (71.92 unit) and lowest in Minto park (62.87unit), highest amount of no2, so2, pm 10 was also in Shyambazar (41.83 ug/qb.m,6.12 and 134.08 respectively) and lowest in picnic garden (32unit, 3.3 and 94.83 unit respectively).

Table 5 , Correlation Between Meteorological Factors And Air Quality(2018-2022)
Data source-Indian Meteorological Department and West Bengal Pollution Control Board

Table 6 , Correlation Between Monsoon And AQI Of Kolkata
Indian Meteorological Department and West Bengal Pollution Control Board