NEW DELHI: A new study by researchers from the Department of Environmental Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has revealed worrying levels of antibiotic-resistant bacteria circulating in the air across several urban locations in Delhi.
The findings suggest that the capital’s air is not only polluted with particulate matter but is also acting as a carrier for microbes that are increasingly difficult to treat with existing antibiotics. The research focused on airborne bacteria known as staphylococci, a group commonly found on human skin and in the environment, but notorious for developing resistance to antibiotics.
Air samples were collected from diverse locations, including the Vasant Vihar Urban Slum, Munirka Market Complex, Munirka Apartments, and the sewage treatment plant at JNU. Both indoor and outdoor environments were studied across different seasons.
Alarmingly, the concentration of airborne staphylococci at all sites exceeded the World Health Organization’s recommended limit of 1,000 colony-forming units per cubic metre (CFU/m³). According to corresponding author, Madhuri Singh from the School of Environmental Sciences, cooler temperatures and poor air quality may help bacteria survive longer in the air. “We need to look beyond hospitals and start paying closer attention to the air we breathe,” Singh said.