
Bryan Johnson, the 47-year-old American tech billionaire on a mission to reverse his biological age, has once again highlighted the severe air quality issues in India, this time referencing a study that underscores the significant health risks posed by air pollution. Johnson’s comments follow a recent incident where he abruptly left a podcast with Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath, citing discomfort from the air quality in a Mumbai hotel. He complained of a burning sensation in his throat, eye irritation, and skin rashes.
In a detailed post on X, Johnson referenced a study which showed how air pollution could lead to liver inflammation, fibrosis, blood fat imbalances, and gene dysregulation linked to cancer. The study involved exposing mice to low levels of traffic-related PM2.5 pollutants, revealing that prolonged exposure to even low-level pollution resulted in systemic damage beyond just the respiratory system.
Johnson emphasised that there is no safe level of exposure to air pollution, warning that addressing air quality in India could potentially increase life expectancy more than curing all cancers in the country. He also shared several measures individuals could take to reduce their exposure, including monitoring PM2.5 levels, wearing N95 masks in polluted environments, upgrading home HVAC systems to higher filtration standards, and using HEPA filters both at home and in cars, particularly in high-traffic areas.
This isn't the first time Johnson has sounded the alarm about India's air quality. He has previously called air pollution a more significant threat than cancer, pointing out how it has become so normalised in Indian cities that people often fail to notice the harmful effects. Johnson expressed confusion at seeing people, including children and babies, going about their daily lives without masks.
The conversation around air pollution was further amplified by Nithin Kamath, CEO of Zerodha, following his brother Nikhil Kamath's podcast with Johnson. Nithin Kamath shared his shock at the air quality in Mumbai, noting that the AQI (Air Quality Index) during the recording in a sea-facing Bandra apartment was above 160. Kamath pointed out that if the air quality in such a relatively upscale area was so poor, it could only be worse in the more crowded parts of the city.
Kamath also tested the AQI at Zerodha’s office in JP Nagar, Bengaluru, a typically quieter area, and was alarmed to find a reading above 120. He noted that with the ongoing construction boom and poorly maintained roads, the air quality in busier parts of Bengaluru was likely much worse. Kamath contrasted this with many places in the US and Europe, where the AQI remains below 50.
Kamath, who runs a philanthropic organisation Rainmatter dedicated to climate change and sustainability, expressed concern over how people invest in water filtration systems but neglect air purifiers. He stressed that clean air should be a fundamental right and questioned why many people have become accustomed to polluted air as a normal part of life.
He also highlighted the lack of research in India on the effects of poor air quality on public health and invited researchers in this field to connect with him. Kamath suggested that large hospital chains might be willing to share anonymised health data to help better understand the impact of pollution on health. Rainmatter, he said, would be eager to collaborate with researchers working to improve air quality, with the ultimate aim of improving quality of life across the country.
In line with these concerns, a recent report from The Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health revealed that pollution was responsible for 9 million premature deaths globally in 2015, making it the world’s largest environmental risk factor for disease and early death. While reductions have occurred in deaths linked to pollution from extreme poverty, the number of deaths from modern pollution risks, including ambient air pollution and toxic chemicals like lead, has risen by 7% since 2015 and by over 66% since 2000. Despite efforts by various global agencies and national governments, especially in high-income countries, little real progress has been made in addressing pollution, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where pollution is most severe.