VISAKHAPATNAM: Pollution level at various places in the city recorded a spike on Monday evening as citizens burst crackers on the occasion of Deepavali. The presence of Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 and 10 in the air was more this year as against last year during the festival of lights.
Officials of the AP Pollution Control Board (APPCB) said PM 10 and PM 2.5 have been identified as the main pollutants in Vizag on Monday.Air quality in most parts of the city was ‘unhealthy’ as PM 10 was between 151-200 as against the NAAQ (National Ambient Air Quality Standards) norm of 100. On the other hand, PM 2.5 stood at 80 as against the NAAQ norm of 60.
The PM10 level in Visakhapatnam increased to 149.6 micrograms per cubic metre during Deepavali this year from 131 last year.While the city reported an average PM 10 of 89.4 and PM 2.5 of 35 on Sunday, the day before the festival, the readings went up to 149.6 and 54.6, respectively, on Monday.Pedagantyada recorded PM 10 at 204, while the lowest of 118 was reported at Gnanapuram on October 18.
The same places recorded PM 10 of 83 and 96 respectively on Sunday. Though the city has been reporting an average PM 10 concentration of 89.4 micrograms per cubic metre, it reported 149.6 micrograms per cubic metre on Monday. A week before Deepavali, the city recorded PM 2.5 concentration of 35 against 54.6 on the day of the festival.
The city witnessed huge sale of fireworks on Sunday and Monday as people turned up in large numbers in over 350 shops set up across the city. Rajesh, a software employee, said the rush at the crackers shops reflected that the pre-covid situation was back in the city.
What’s PM 2.5 & 10?
PM10 describes the inhalable particles with diameters that are generally 10 micrometers and smaller
Particles in the PM 2.5 size range can travel farther into the respiratory tract and affect the lungs. Exposure to fine particles can cause short-term health effects such as eye, nose, throat and lung irritation, coughing, sneezing, runny nose and shortness of breath