A survey of air pollution data in 6,475 cities shows that not a single nation met the World Health Organisation’s air high quality requirements in 2021. According to a Reuters report, smog even returned to pre-pandemic levels in some regions, after a quick respite throughout Covid-19. The data was collated by Swiss agency, IQAir, a pollution know-how company that monitors air quality.
The WHO recommendation is that average annual PM2.5 readings should not exceed 5 micrograms per cubic metre. PM2. Running out refers to particulate matter found in the air, such as mud, soot, filth, liquid droplets, and smoke. The WHO tips changed last year, with the organisation saying even low levels can create critical health risks.
According to Christi Schroeder from IQAir, many nations are making vital progress however as many as ninety three cities had PM2.5 levels that were 10 occasions the beneficial degree.
“There are a lot of international locations which are making massive strides in discount. China began with some very massive numbers and they are continuing to decrease over time. But there are also locations on the earth the place it’s getting significantly worse.”
The data exhibits that general air pollution in India received worse in 2021, with New Delhi retaining the dubious honour of being the world’s most polluted capital metropolis. Bangladesh is the world’s most polluted country for the second year, with Chad in second place, after its knowledge was included within the survey for the first time.
According to the Reuters report, China has been making an attempt to fight its air pollution downside since 2014. In 2020, it was ranked 14th in the PM2.5 rankings however dropped to 22nd in 2021. The worst performing Chinese city is the north-western city of Hotan, in Xinjiang. There, the average PM2.5 readings got here in at over a hundred micrograms, primarily as a result of sandstorms. However, Hotan has fallen to third place within the world’s most polluted cities ranking, with the Indian cities of Bhiwadi and Ghaziabad overtaking it in 2021.
SOURCE: Reuters