How was Hyderabad’s 2021 air quality? Did Hyderabad’s air quality improve in 2021 compared to recent years? Air pollution in 2020 averaged levels over 4 times the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended limit for PM2.5 levels. Smart Air dove into the data to see if there was any improvement in 2021.
Hyderabad Air Quality Worsened by 16% in 2021
Hyderabad’s 2021 PM2.5 air pollution levels improved by 16% compared to 2020. With the 16% improvement in air quality, Hyderabad averaged 43 micrograms of PM2.5 air pollution in 2021.
Hyderabad’s Air Quality: Month by Month Analysis
Breaking down the data by month, air quality in 2021 started at a higher level compared to 2020. Air quality in Hyderabad improved during the period between May and September. However, Hyderabad experienced the least improvement in air quality during the lockdown, while the data shows improvement across other major Indian cities.
Hyderabad’s pollution levels peak during winter with PM2.5 typically rising in October, and pollution levels remain high until March of the next year.
Hyderabad Pollution vs. Delhi Pollution
Compared to pollution leader Delhi, Hyderabad has cleaner air, closer to half the air pollution of Delhi. Although Hyderabad’s air quality is better than Delhi’s, Hyderabad’s PM2.5 exceeds the World Health Organization annual limit for all months of the year.
The analysis is based on PM2.5 air pollution, particles smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter. These particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream. Studies have found that PM2.5 raises blood pressure, inflammation, and rates of heart attacks and strokes.
What Next?
Despite the harms of PM2.5, studies have found that wearing masks prevents physiological harm to the body, and placebo-controlled studies of air purifiers have found that removing particulate in the home has positive effects on blood pressure, inflammation, and immune response.
Smart Air provides empirically backed, no-nonsense purifiers and masks to help air-breathers protect themselves and their family. Smart Air is a certified B Corp founded to publicize the simple science behind air purifiers and masks, thereby lowering the cost of breathing clean air.
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