NEW DELHI: At a time when pollution levels are rising meteorically, a recent survey has found that Delhi-NCR is the hotspot of NO2 emissions. Other NO2 hotspots across India include Sonbhadra in Uttar Pradesh, Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh, Korba in Chhattisgarh, and Talcher in Odisha.
The survey, undertaken by an environmental NGO, shows a direct link between fossil fuel burning and air pollution in the power and transport sectors.
Explaining the methodology of the survey, environmentalist Lauri Myllyvirta said, "Just as we have nowhere to hide from the dirty air impacting our daily lives, so too do the polluters have nowhere to hide. Our new satellite is the 'eye-in-the-sky', from which the culprits – coal burning industry and oil guzzling transport – cannot escape."
"It is now up to governments to act, with all the policy measures and technologies we have at our disposal, to clean up our air and save lives," she said.
NO2 and NOX, more generally, are dangerous air pollutants, acute and long-term exposure to which causes respiratory symptoms and lung damage, and increases risk of chronic diseases.
Long-term exposure to NO2 is associated with increased mortality rates worldwide.
In the European Union, exposure to NO2 is linked to an estimated 75,000 premature deaths per year.
In China, there is growing scientific evidence that indicates significant increases in respiratory and cardiovascular mortality as a result of exposure to NO2.
"The analysis points out that coal and transport are the two principal sources of emissions. NO2 also contributes to the formation of PM2.5 and ozone, two of the most dangerous pollutants impacting larger regions," said Sunil Dahiya, an air pollution campaigner.
Between June 1 and August 31, the list of largest NO2 hotspots in the world includes well-known coal-fired power plants in South Africa, Germany, India as well as numerous coal-burning industrial clusters in China.
Cities such as Santiago de Chile, London, Dubai, and Tehran also feature prominently in the list of 50 NO2 hotspots due to transport-related emissions.
"As NO2 levels are the highest right around major sources, averaging the NO2 levels over a period of time enables us to reveal the biggest sources of NO2 emissions. NO2 is formed whenever fuel is burned at a high temperature or if the fuel itself contains nitrogen. Coal, oil, gas, and biomass burning all contribute to NO2 emissions. We used the EDGAR global emission database to identify the likely main sources of emissions within each hotspot," noted the survey report.