National Pollution Prevention Day: How to protect children from environmental risks!

Of all of the air pollutants, fine particulate matter has the greatest effect on human health.

New Delhi: Taking steps to prevent pollution is critical at this point of time, especially in a country like India, which has the world's most polluted cities.

Because pollution prevention reduces the amount of pollution generated by a process, whether by industry, agriculture or consumers.

Currently, the national capital, Delhi, is reeling under high levels of pollution with high particle pollutant in air crossing the safe limits.

On Thursday, the air quality in the national capital remained 'severe' for the second consecutive day, posing serious health threats to the residents.

On the occasion of National Pollution Prevention Day, Krishan Chugh and Neetu Talwar from Fortis Memorial Research Institute throw light on most usual sources of air pollution and ways to prevent children from it.

Some of the most common sources of air pollution are household combustion devices, motor vehicles, industrial facilities, unpaved roads, forest fires etc.

Common pollutants found in them are particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide.

Particulate matter (PM), also called particle pollution, is the term for a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air.

Some particles, such as dust, dirt, soot, or smoke, are large or dark enough to be seen with the naked eye. Others are so small they can only be detected using an electron microscope.

Of all of the air pollutants, fine particulate matter has the greatest effect on human health.

It is an environmental health problem that affects people worldwide, but low- and middle-income countries disproportionately experience this burden.

Here are a few tips to keep children protected from from air pollution, one of world's largest environmental health risks, one of world's largest environmental health risks. The basic ways to reduce air pollution include educating friends, family and neighbourhood regarding:

• Avoiding exposure to dangers of air pollution, harmful effects of smoking, both active and passive
• Safe cooking practices, use of efficient stoves
• Benefits of efficient, low-polluting vehicle or a zero-emission electric car
• Maintaining your personal vehicles and keeping the tires properly inflated
• Limiting idling at traffic lights
• Replacing energy-hungry incandescent lights with compact florescent light bulbs
• Opting for fans instead of air conditioning
• Adding insulation to your homes
• Washing laundry in cold water and line dry
• When ready to replace, looking for Energy Star appliances
• Microwaving or using toaster for small meals
• Eating locally, shopping at farmer's markets and buying organic produce
• Using durable and sustainable bags and keeping them in our car so that we are never caught off guard
• Walking or riding a bike when possible
• Recycling paper, plastic, metals and organic materials
• Initiating walking clubs, cycling clubs, nature walk clubs, car-pooling clubs, tree plantation, gardening and anything that help reduce air pollution and increase green cover.

The National Pollution Prevention Day is observed every year on 2nd December in India. The main objectives of the day is to -

• Spread awareness on managing and controlling industrial disasters
• Prevent the pollution produced by industrial processes or human negligence
• Make people and industries aware about the importance of pollution control acts.

This day is also observed in the memory of people who lost their lives in Bhopal gas calamity, which occurred in the year 1984 on the night of 2–3 December.

(With ANI inputs)