Fine particles have been found in the polluted air of China which is leading to the death of 64,000 babies every year while they are still in their wombs, a study conducted by researchers claims.&nbsp;The statistics reflect such shocking figures despite efforts being made by Beijing to control pollution in the past 10 years and more. 
 
The study analysed 137 countries in which it was discovered that exposure to particles, which are generally produced when fossil fuels are burnt and which are smaller than 2.5 microns (PM2.5), has led to 40% of stillbirths in Latin America, Asia and Africa in the year 2015.

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In the study which analysed all the countries where world's 98% of stillbirths occur, China was ranked in fourth place based on fetal deaths related to PM2.5, as per the study published in the scientific journal Nature Communications. 
 
The Peking University's researchers, headed by Xue Tao, pointed out the measures adopted by the Chinese authorities in the past decade to control air pollution have reduced the number of such deaths. 
 
“Improved air quality in some of the 137 countries (e.g. China) might underlie the reduction in the global burden of stillbirths. Therefore, meeting the World Health Organisation air quality targets could prevent stillbirths,” the researchers wrote. 
 
Although how polluted air is responsible for stillbirth is widely known, this is the first study that has been conducted to calculate the exact number of fetal death recorded. In a 2020 report, Unicef described the phenomenon as a “neglected tragedy”.

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The study overall found that a 10 µg/m3 increase in exposure to PM2.5 was resulting in an 11% increase in the cases of stillbirth. The researchers claim that when pollution particles pass through the placenta they may cause “irreversible embryonic damage”. It is also suspected to disturb oxygen transmission to the fetus. 
 
“In recent years, China has been working hard on treating air pollution and seen rapid improvement in air quality as a result, which is of great importance to the protection of the health of pregnant women and children,” Zhu Tong, the study's another leading author said. 
 
“However, a great population and uneven social development mean there are still a big number of pregnant women exposed to air pollution,” he added.

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Fine particles have been found in the polluted air of China which is leading to the death of 64,000 babies every year while they are still in their wombs, a study conducted by researchers claims.

Fine particles have been found in the polluted air of China which is leading to the death of 64,000 babies every year while they are still in their wombs, a study conducted by researchers claims. The statistics reflect such shocking figures despite efforts being made by Beijing to control pollution in the past 10 years and more. The study analysed 137 countries in which it was discovered that exposure to particles, which are generally produced when fossil fuels are burnt and which are smaller than 2.5 microns (PM2.5), has led to 40% of stillbirths in Latin America, Asia and Africa in the year 2015. ALSO READ| Playing piano may help deal with mental health issues like depression: Study In the study which analysed all the countries where world's 98% of stillbirths occur, China was ranked in fourth place based on fetal deaths related to PM2.5, as per the study published in the scientific journal Nature Communications. The Peking University's researchers, headed by Xue Tao, pointed out the measures adopted by the Chinese authorities in the past decade to control air pollution have reduced the number of such deaths. “Improved air quality in some of the 137 countries (e.g. China) might underlie the reduction in the global burden of stillbirths. Therefore, meeting the World Health Organisation air quality targets could prevent stillbirths,” the researchers wrote. Although how polluted air is responsible for stillbirth is widely known, this is the first study that has been conducted to calculate the exact number of fetal death recorded. In a 2020 report, Unicef described the phenomenon as a “neglected tragedy”. ALSO READ| Experimental drug slows down cognitive decline in Alzheimer's patients: Here’s what you need to know The study overall found that a 10 µg/m3 increase in exposure to PM2.5 was resulting in an 11% increase in the cases of stillbirth. The researchers claim that when pollution particles pass through the placenta they may cause “irreversible embryonic damage”. It is also suspected to disturb oxygen transmission to the fetus. “In recent years, China has been working hard on treating air pollution and seen rapid improvement in air quality as a result, which is of great importance to the protection of the health of pregnant women and children,” Zhu Tong, the study's another leading author said. “However, a great population and uneven social development mean there are still a big number of pregnant women exposed to air pollution,” he added.

‘Airborne baby killer’: Air pollution in China kills 64,000 babies in womb every year, says study

Political apathy over the poisonous smog choking India&#39;s capital has led many like businessman Kamal Meattle to take matters into their own hands, with an office building he says pumps air as fresh as from the Swiss Alps.

From the outside, the Paharpur Business Centre looks like any modern office block. But inside it is a virtual jungle where rooms and corridors are lined with more than 7,000 potted plants and creepers.

The greenhouse terrace, with artificial grass and green walls, houses an &quot;air washing&quot; system that moves polluted outside air through a series of cleaning filters.

It is then pushed through the greenhouse where the plants remove bacteria, fungus, carbon dioxide and other toxins, before the air conditioning pumps it to workers on the floors below.

&quot;It would be like working in Gulmarg in Kashmir or Davos in Switzerland in this building,&quot; 73-year-old Meattle said as he looked out at the smog from the protection of the lush rooftop nursery.

&quot;You are actually right now sitting in an air tank,&quot; he said, referring to the greenhouse where PM2.5 - the most harmful particulates in the air - registered nearly zero compared with 415 outside, according to Paharpur&#39;s monitoring system.

The outside level is more than 16 times the World Health Organization&#39;s safe limit.

&#39;I wanted a solution&#39;

&nbsp;

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Employees play at the green house-come-cafeteria at the Paharpur Business Centre in New Delhi. (AFP)
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&nbsp;

A Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate and trustee of Al Gore&#39;s Climate Reality Project, Meattle began thinking about a clean office project years ago when he rejected doctors&#39; advice to move away from the polluted capital for his health.

&quot;I wanted a solution for myself and I didn&#39;t want to leave Delhi,&quot; he said.

His centre, whose tenants include Amazon, Samsung and Microsoft, is now rated the city&#39;s healthiest building by the Indian government, and Meattle says people who work there benefit from improved blood oxygen levels, better brain function, and fewer asthma and eye irritation cases.

Delhi chokes every winter as cool air traps a toxic blend of pollutants from crop burning, car exhausts, open fires, construction dust and industrial emissions close to the ground.

The annual scourge has been particularly bad this season, and short-term measures -- such as shutting factories and restricting car use - have failed to have a significant impact.

In November, doctors declared a public health emergency and schools were shut across the capital.

Fumes from backup generators are a central ingredient in the noxious cocktail, but one company is turning them into ink and paint with technology that can capture up to 90 percent of dangerous pollutants.

Chakr Innovations, started by graduates from the Indian Institute of Technology, has capitalised on the smoke-belching machines that can be heard across the city.

Black is the new green

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Beanbags used by Indian employees are pictured in the greenhouse cafeteria at the Paharpur Business Centre in New Delhi. (AFP)
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&nbsp;

Its Chakr Shield is fitted to generators and converts carbon and other fine particles, including the most harmful PM0.3 and PM2.5 specks, into liquified soot through chemical and heat-exchanging processes.

The captured carbon is washed down with a solvent and processed into ink pigment and paints.

&quot;What would have otherwise been a waste is captured and reborn to be used as a raw material again,&quot; said co-founder Arpit Dhupar, donning a t-shirt that says &quot;black is the new green&quot;.

Dhupar was inspired by seeing a diesel generator that was running a roadside sugarcane juice stall and turning the wall behind it black in the process.

Chakr has fitted machines at more than 18 Delhi offices, and 30 other companies have signed up for the technology, including US giant Dell Computers, which will be using Chakr&#39;s ink for printing on its cardboard boxes.

Dhupar said that in 18 months, the machines had collected enough carbon to pollute about 1.5 billion litres of air.

&quot;We are running out of clean, breathable air in Delhi and our definitive objective is to make the access to clean air a basic right for everyone,&quot; he said.

Others want to ensure that right extends to animals, including the high-performance ponies that compete on Delhi&#39;s thriving polo circuit.

The Army Polo and Riding Club recently ruled that horses used by the Delhi Army polo team must be allowed twice as many breaks to alleviate the physical stress of playing matches in toxic conditions.

&quot;By sheer logic and the levels of pollution that were there in Delhi we thought that it may cause a problem. The longer the pony plays, the exhaustion is that much higher,&quot; said the club&#39;s chief executive, Colonel Ravi Rathore.

The level of PM2.5 - the most harmful particulates in the air - registered nearly zero inside the Paharpur Business Centre compared with 415 outside.

Political apathy over the poisonous smog choking India's capital has led many like businessman Kamal Meattle to take matters into their own hands, with an office building he says pumps air as fresh as from the Swiss Alps. From the outside, the Paharpur Business Centre looks like any modern office block. But inside it is a virtual jungle where rooms and corridors are lined with more than 7,000 potted plants and creepers. The greenhouse terrace, with artificial grass and green walls, houses an "air washing" system that moves polluted outside air through a series of cleaning filters. It is then pushed through the greenhouse where the plants remove bacteria, fungus, carbon dioxide and other toxins, before the air conditioning pumps it to workers on the floors below. "It would be like working in Gulmarg in Kashmir or Davos in Switzerland in this building," 73-year-old Meattle said as he looked out at the smog from the protection of the lush rooftop nursery. "You are actually right now sitting in an air tank," he said, referring to the greenhouse where PM2.5 - the most harmful particulates in the air - registered nearly zero compared with 415 outside, according to Paharpur's monitoring system. The outside level is more than 16 times the World Health Organization's safe limit. 'I wanted a solution' Employees play at the green house-come-cafeteria at the Paharpur Business Centre in New Delhi. (AFP) × A Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate and trustee of Al Gore's Climate Reality Project, Meattle began thinking about a clean office project years ago when he rejected doctors' advice to move away from the polluted capital for his health. "I wanted a solution for myself and I didn't want to leave Delhi," he said. His centre, whose tenants include Amazon, Samsung and Microsoft, is now rated the city's healthiest building by the Indian government, and Meattle says people who work there benefit from improved blood oxygen levels, better brain function, and fewer asthma and eye irritation cases. Delhi chokes every winter as cool air traps a toxic blend of pollutants from crop burning, car exhausts, open fires, construction dust and industrial emissions close to the ground. The annual scourge has been particularly bad this season, and short-term measures -- such as shutting factories and restricting car use - have failed to have a significant impact. In November, doctors declared a public health emergency and schools were shut across the capital. Fumes from backup generators are a central ingredient in the noxious cocktail, but one company is turning them into ink and paint with technology that can capture up to 90 percent of dangerous pollutants. Chakr Innovations, started by graduates from the Indian Institute of Technology, has capitalised on the smoke-belching machines that can be heard across the city. Black is the new green Beanbags used by Indian employees are pictured in the greenhouse cafeteria at the Paharpur Business Centre in New Delhi. (AFP) × Its Chakr Shield is fitted to generators and converts carbon and other fine particles, including the most harmful PM0.3 and PM2.5 specks, into liquified soot through chemical and heat-exchanging processes. The captured carbon is washed down with a solvent and processed into ink pigment and paints. "What would have otherwise been a waste is captured and reborn to be used as a raw material again," said co-founder Arpit Dhupar, donning a t-shirt that says "black is the new green". Dhupar was inspired by seeing a diesel generator that was running a roadside sugarcane juice stall and turning the wall behind it black in the process. Chakr has fitted machines at more than 18 Delhi offices, and 30 other companies have signed up for the technology, including US giant Dell Computers, which will be using Chakr's ink for printing on its cardboard boxes. Dhupar said that in 18 months, the machines had collected enough carbon to pollute about 1.5 billion litres of air. "We are running out of clean, breathable air in Delhi and our definitive objective is to make the access to clean air a basic right for everyone," he said. Others want to ensure that right extends to animals, including the high-performance ponies that compete on Delhi's thriving polo circuit. The Army Polo and Riding Club recently ruled that horses used by the Delhi Army polo team must be allowed twice as many breaks to alleviate the physical stress of playing matches in toxic conditions. "By sheer logic and the levels of pollution that were there in Delhi we thought that it may cause a problem. The longer the pony plays, the exhaustion is that much higher," said the club's chief executive, Colonel Ravi Rathore.

'It's like working in Switzerland': Inside Delhi's healthiest building

&nbsp;

By Asit K. Biswas and Kris Hartley*

Delhi&rsquo;s air pollution crisis made international headlines in early December when a cricket match between India and Sri Lanka was suspended due to poor air quality.

Smog has also led to numerous school closures and flight cancellations in India&rsquo;s capital and largest city. It has also been blamed for highway accidents.

Delhi is home to 20 million residents, and the city&rsquo;s more than 10 million vehicles are a major contributor to air pollution. Industrial emissions are also to blame. Thirteen coal-fired power stations operate within a 300 kilometre radius of the city. Conditions reach crisis level every winter, when the capital&rsquo;s already poor air quality is further degraded by smoke from post-harvest burning in the neighbouring agricultural states of Haryana and Punjab.

The concentration of airborne particulate matter (PM2.5) recently reached 999 in parts of Delhi. This measurement was literally off the charts of maximum thresholds for air pollutants. The alarming fact is that Delhi is not even India&rsquo;s smoggiest city. By one measure, four other Indian cities typically suffer even worse air pollution.

There is little evidence that either the central or Delhi government has any effective policy strategy for air pollution. Now is the time for India to peer through the smog and learn how another major city, Beijing, is taking meaningful steps to stabilise its own air pollution crisis. While China still has progress to make, some lessons from the country&rsquo;s capital are a useful guide for clearing Delhi&rsquo;s air.

China&rsquo;s response

According to the World Health Organisation, ten of the world&rsquo;s 20 most polluted cities are in India, and three in China. The two countries top the ignoble list of deaths related to air pollution, with more than one million each in 2015. The two are the world&rsquo;s most populous countries and also have among the highest proportions of deaths related to air pollution.

Nevertheless, China is making progress. The central government has taken a systematic and coordinated approach to managing air pollution. It has adopted a suite of policies that promote alternative energy and punish regulatory breaches.

The country is rapidly scaling back capacity for coal-fired power and steel, whose production is suspected of threatening respiratory health. China is also soliciting foreign investment in green energy technologies, and has intensified inspections of major polluters around Beijing.

In Beijing alone, fines for pollution topped USD$ 28 million in 2015. To combat vehicle exhaust smoke, which is responsible for one-third of Beijing&rsquo;s emissions, an annual quota of 150,000 new cars was established for 2017, with 60,000 allotted only to fuel efficient cars. Beginning in 2018, this quota will be reduced by one third, to 100,000 annually. This will limit the total number of cars to around 6.3 million.

Beijing is also aiming to reduce coal consumption from the current 11 million tons per year to under 5 million by 2020.

There is some evidence that these measures are working. In the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, PM2.5 levels decreased by 27% between 2013 and 2016.

India&rsquo;s apathy

By comparison, India&rsquo;s political inefficiency is making regional air pollution a nearly intractable problem. Although the states of Haryana and Punjab have banned farmers from burning straw, implementation has been minimal. Policy coordination is also weak across states governed by rival political parties. For example, the leaders of Delhi and Haryana have publicly clashed about who is to blame for air pollution. They have also failed to hold discussions about the problem or to find feasible solutions.

Farmers constitute a significant voting base in Haryana and Punjab. This has led state governments to demand compensation from central government for losses farmers incur by ceasing burning. Such focus on short-term political gain is distracting policymakers from collaborating on regional solutions. The consequences of territorial grandstanding are deadly.

Another difference between India and China is the level of apathy among the government and general public. In China, years of seething public anger prompted Prime Minister Li Keqiang to &ldquo;declare war&rdquo; on pollution in 2014.

In India, public outrage over air pollution is still &ldquo;seasonal&rdquo; and rarely swells beyond social media. The central government has remained largely silent about pollution while state leaders indulge in meaningless inter-party squabbling and political theatre.

Amid this discouraging accountability vacuum, India&rsquo;s Supreme Court recently assumed the mantle of leadership on air pollution. It banned fireworks in the capital during the Diwali festival and pushed for response focused <a href="http://cpcb.nic.in/final_graded_table.pdf">action planning</a>. While these are encouraging steps, bypassing the legislative process on such fundamental public health issues is hardly ideal or sustainable.

Progress is needed

India has made remarkable progress lifting millions of people out of poverty in recent years. It aspires to be a global superpower, but has singularly failed to curb air pollution. Central government must intervene to coordinate collaborative policy among states and hold officials accountable for inaction. Central government should also reinforce state-level initiatives to minimise burning and promote sustainable farming.

More broadly, it may be time to ask whether highly argumentative democratic models are always the best solution for problems that transcend city and provincial boundaries. Sensible and informed policy leadership is needed to solve environmental challenges. India must rise above petty politics, lest the country bicker its way into smoggy irrelevance.

&nbsp;*Kris Hartley, Lecturer in City and Regional Planning, Cornell University

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

&nbsp;

The central government of China has taken a systematic and coordinated approach to managing air pollution. India dabbles in petty politics.

By Asit K. Biswas and Kris Hartley* Delhi’s air pollution crisis made international headlines in early December when a cricket match between India and Sri Lanka was suspended due to poor air quality. Smog has also led to numerous school closures and flight cancellations in India’s capital and largest city. It has also been blamed for highway accidents. Delhi is home to 20 million residents, and the city’s more than 10 million vehicles are a major contributor to air pollution. Industrial emissions are also to blame. Thirteen coal-fired power stations operate within a 300 kilometre radius of the city. Conditions reach crisis level every winter, when the capital’s already poor air quality is further degraded by smoke from post-harvest burning in the neighbouring agricultural states of Haryana and Punjab. The concentration of airborne particulate matter (PM2.5) recently reached 999 in parts of Delhi. This measurement was literally off the charts of maximum thresholds for air pollutants. The alarming fact is that Delhi is not even India’s smoggiest city. By one measure, four other Indian cities typically suffer even worse air pollution. There is little evidence that either the central or Delhi government has any effective policy strategy for air pollution. Now is the time for India to peer through the smog and learn how another major city, Beijing, is taking meaningful steps to stabilise its own air pollution crisis. While China still has progress to make, some lessons from the country’s capital are a useful guide for clearing Delhi’s air. China’s response According to the World Health Organisation, ten of the world’s 20 most polluted cities are in India, and three in China. The two countries top the ignoble list of deaths related to air pollution, with more than one million each in 2015. The two are the world’s most populous countries and also have among the highest proportions of deaths related to air pollution. Nevertheless, China is making progress. The central government has taken a systematic and coordinated approach to managing air pollution. It has adopted a suite of policies that promote alternative energy and punish regulatory breaches. The country is rapidly scaling back capacity for coal-fired power and steel, whose production is suspected of threatening respiratory health. China is also soliciting foreign investment in green energy technologies, and has intensified inspections of major polluters around Beijing. In Beijing alone, fines for pollution topped USD$ 28 million in 2015. To combat vehicle exhaust smoke, which is responsible for one-third of Beijing’s emissions, an annual quota of 150,000 new cars was established for 2017, with 60,000 allotted only to fuel efficient cars. Beginning in 2018, this quota will be reduced by one third, to 100,000 annually. This will limit the total number of cars to around 6.3 million. Beijing is also aiming to reduce coal consumption from the current 11 million tons per year to under 5 million by 2020. There is some evidence that these measures are working. In the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, PM2.5 levels decreased by 27% between 2013 and 2016. India’s apathy By comparison, India’s political inefficiency is making regional air pollution a nearly intractable problem. Although the states of Haryana and Punjab have banned farmers from burning straw, implementation has been minimal. Policy coordination is also weak across states governed by rival political parties. For example, the leaders of Delhi and Haryana have publicly clashed about who is to blame for air pollution. They have also failed to hold discussions about the problem or to find feasible solutions. Farmers constitute a significant voting base in Haryana and Punjab. This has led state governments to demand compensation from central government for losses farmers incur by ceasing burning. Such focus on short-term political gain is distracting policymakers from collaborating on regional solutions. The consequences of territorial grandstanding are deadly. Another difference between India and China is the level of apathy among the government and general public. In China, years of seething public anger prompted Prime Minister Li Keqiang to “declare war” on pollution in 2014. In India, public outrage over air pollution is still “seasonal” and rarely swells beyond social media. The central government has remained largely silent about pollution while state leaders indulge in meaningless inter-party squabbling and political theatre. Amid this discouraging accountability vacuum, India’s Supreme Court recently assumed the mantle of leadership on air pollution. It banned fireworks in the capital during the Diwali festival and pushed for response focused action planning. While these are encouraging steps, bypassing the legislative process on such fundamental public health issues is hardly ideal or sustainable. Progress is needed India has made remarkable progress lifting millions of people out of poverty in recent years. It aspires to be a global superpower, but has singularly failed to curb air pollution. Central government must intervene to coordinate collaborative policy among states and hold officials accountable for inaction. Central government should also reinforce state-level initiatives to minimise burning and promote sustainable farming. More broadly, it may be time to ask whether highly argumentative democratic models are always the best solution for problems that transcend city and provincial boundaries. Sensible and informed policy leadership is needed to solve environmental challenges. India must rise above petty politics, lest the country bicker its way into smoggy irrelevance. *Kris Hartley, Lecturer in City and Regional Planning, Cornell University This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Delhi should follow Beijing in tackling air pollution

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