INDOOR AIR POLLUTION IN INDIA AND HEALTH HAZARDS

Abstract [English]

The ambient air quality in Indian cities has degraded to hazardous levels over the last two decades. People are exposed to extreme health risks due to increasing particulate matter, hazardous airborne agents in indoor spaces Outdoor air quality is affecting indoor air quality too.(1) Indoor air pollution is the degradation of indoor air quality by harmful chemicals and other materials; it can be up to 10 times worse than outdoor air pollution.  Over a million people in India die every year because of indoor air pollution, among highest in the world,(2).

Indoor air pollution can be traced to prehistoric times when humans first moved to temperate climates and it became necessary to construct shelters and use fire inside them for cooking, warmth and light. (3) Approximately half the world’s population and up to 90% of rural households in developing countries still rely on unprocessed biomass fuels in the form of wood, dung and crop residues (4). Even today, about 43 percent of rural households and 31 percent of all Indian households use kerosene, for lighting purposes. Its impact on health and environment can be threatening.