Social and Cultural Factors Impacting Air Pollution and Cancer in India
- Leela Sharma
- Aug 18, 2023
- 2 min read
Updated: Feb 18
Author: Leela Sharma
Date: 08-18-23
Recently, my family visited us from India and all they could talk about was the air pollution in India, specifically the capital city of New Delhi. It really got me thinking: scientifically, what does severe air pollution entail? Does pollution have an impact on cancer? Are there any social or cultural factors that can impact pollution?
According to a worldwide study conducted by the WHO in 2019, India was ranked the 5th country with the highest air pollution among 118 countries. India’s capital New Delhi is ranked #1 as the worst Air Quality Index (“AQI”) with other major cities such as Kolkata and Mumbai also featuring in the top 15. AQI has a direct impact on the population, especially lung cancer patients as they are vulnerable to respiratory diseases and increase in the pollutants in the air.
According to a 2023 study conducted by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, one of the leading causes of lung cancer is air pollution. Air pollution can have the same impact as smoking and in many cases can worsen lung cancer survival rates. Deaths from lung cancer have increased approximately 30% since 2007. However, lung cancer deaths related to smoking are projected to decrease in the next 40 years as smoking rates continue to decline and air pollution continues to increase.
According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, particulate matter with aerodynamic matter less than 2.5 micrometers has been classified as carcinogenic to humans. These particles are very tiny, approximately one-thirtieth the width of a human hair. The most common source of PM 2.5 comes from burning fossil fuels (coal, wood, charcoal or crop residue). PM 2.5 can also come from natural dust including dust from construction etc. Further industrial and household sources also contribute to PM 2.5.
Is there any correlation between pollution and social patterns in India? I think the answer lies in environmental justice, especially the challenges faced by socially disadvantaged groups to see how marginalized communities are disproportionately burdened by increased air pollution.
A study done Chakraborty J, Basu P. on Air Quality and Environmental Injustice in India shows that districts with higher percentages of scheduled caste (traditional socially marginalized and disadvantaged socioeconomic class), female, children, and people with disabilities, as well as households with no toilets, had higher PM 2.5 levels. These typically also tend to have the highest concentrations of illiterate population.
While I was taken aback by the results of this study, I was not quite surprised. Either way, I am so interested in this topic that I am going to do some more research!
Sources:
Jeon J, Holford TR, Levy DT, Feuer EJ, Cao P, Tam J, Clarke L, Clarke J, Kong CY, Meza R. Smoking and Lung Cancer Mortality in the United States From 2015 to 2065: A Comparative Modeling Approach. Ann Intern Med. 2018 Nov 20;169(10):684-693. doi: 10.7326/M18-1250. Epub 2018 Oct 9. PMID: 30304504; PMCID: PMC6242740.
Chakraborty J, Basu P. Air Quality and Environmental Injustice in India: Connecting Particulate Pollution to Social Disadvantages. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jan 4;18(1):304. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18010304. PMID: 33406580; PMCID: PMC7795633.
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