Items of everyday use could make indoor pollution fouler: Studies
SEEN, UNSEEN In homes, PM2.5 levels were over twice the safe limit; bioaerosols 20 times higher in offices
NEWDELHI: Items of everyday use – room fresheners, deodorants, mosquito coil, incense sticks, wall-to-wall carpets and office printers and photocopy machines – could be pushing up indoor pollution levels at homes and offices, which could be as bad as the polluted air outside or even worse, at least two recent studies in Delhi have shown.
Both found the concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOCS) and PM2.5 — ultrafine particles — higher than permissible limits even inside homes, offices and multiplexes.
The concentration of bio-aerosols, which comprise diseasecausing agents such as bacteria and virus, among others, have been found to be at least 20 times higher in corporate offices and four times higher in multiplexes.
While one study was conducted by a team from the CSIRCentral Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI) in their own offices, the other was done by the Indian Pollution Control Association (IPCA), a Delhi-based research organisation, in 13 buildings across Delhi, including corporate offices, a multiplex, government buildings and residences. The CRRI study was published in
this month with data from 2014 summer. The IPCA study was conducted earlier this year.
“The concentrations of PM1, PM2.5 and volatile organic compounds (VOCS) were found to be higher inside than outside. While concentrations of PM1 and PM2.5 were nearly double in indoor air than outdoor, the concentration of VOCS was even higher. VOCS accumulate more when air conditioners are used because the ventilation is poor,” said Manisha Gaur, an author of the study and
But then he rued the lack of public transport in the city and said this must be fixed.at present the number of buses plying in the city is around 5,000 while the city needs at least 15,000 buses to meet the demand.
“The Delhi government has raised its inability to get more buses for lack of land(parking) to build depots. The DDA must resolve this issue. However, the EPCA has recently conducted a study and handed it over to the Delhi government suggesting that with the existing infrastructure they can still accommodate around 2,000 standard floor buses. We have to see how the government takes it forward,” said the chairperson.
The Delhi government must procure standard floor buses with the funds collected under the Environment Compensation Charge (ECC) instead of low-floor buses or electric vehicles, as it had earlier proposed, he said. “Existing space and infrastructure has shown that standard floor buses are successful in the city while low-floor buses require heavy maintenance. Since there is no data or study available on the viability of electric vehicles, the government should first be looking at augmenting its bus fleet with standard buses,” said Lal.
Meanwhile, scientists said that pollution levels would continue to remain in very poor zone for the next two days in the city.