Bengaluru: If there was any doubts over how toxic the air over Bengaluru is, well, here's the proof. Its polluted and filled with fine dust and harmful metals!
A month after aTechTron installed an air purifier at one of the most polluted spots in the city, Hudson Circle, it is found that every day, it collected on an average 19.11 grams of dust and pollutants during eight hours of peak traffic.
The filters in which the dust was collected were sent to the National Accreditation Board for Testing (NABL) by the Karnataka State Pollution
Control Board (KSPCB) to determine the concentration and contents.
The company said that the reports were on expected lines and alarming. The lab reports revealed that 19.11 grams of dust was collected on the primary filter over 8 hours of peak traffic time. Over a month, 750 grams to 1 kg of fine dust particles, consisting of PM2.5, PM10, airborne heavy metals, organic carbon and other air borne pollutants, were collected.
Unlike the present air monitoring devices, which give data on PM 2.5, PM10, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and ozone, this device shows traces of heavy metals like cadmium, chromium, lead, zinc, copper, iron, manganese, alkaline metals and barium.
Environment consultant Mahesh Kashyap said, "It is shocking to see such high concentration of lead in the air, despite claims that metal is no more found in air. It is worrying to see barium, lead, manganese, iron, chromium and cadmium in varying amounts in the dust particles."
Studies have shown that humans and animals damage their lungs if exposed tobarium, he said.
Mr Rajeev Krishna, Founder, TechTron, said that outdoor air purifiers should be installed at all major traffic junctions and road medians, where there is heavy vehicular movement, and at construction sites. "This also helps us understand what exactly we are breathing, like heavy metals which are dangerous and not detected by widely used air pollution monitors. Detecting them in outdoor air helps us establish specific sources of pollution. We will join hands to plant more trees, save trees from being cut and help government develop projects to reduce traffic congestion.
Pollution is not only affecting humans, but also trees because of prolonged exposures to metals in the air," he said.
