It's November 13th, 2150, in Delhi. Your eight-year-old son is getting ready to go to school. You pack his superfood lunch, help him pack his learning device into his backpack, and there's one final step. The all-important oxygen cylinder. You strap into its wheelbarrow. A 30-litre oxygen tank that has its own mechanism to be wheeled around wherever you go. If not for that oxygen tank, you'd have your child breathing in Delhi's toxic air, which isn't even fit for cockroaches. With the weather forecast in Delhi being anything but favourable, it's time to take some precautions to deal with the air pollution.
With an AQI (PM 2.5) of 456, which is Chernobylous (word coined), Delhi won't be breathing easy anytime soon. A dull film of shallow fog has enveloped the city, turning it into some weird post-apocalyptic dystopian wasteland in which only if you have bottled oxygen will you survive. Delhi's air quality leaves much to be desired. It is more than 390 in some pockets, and it hits a new low with 456.
Delhi's air quality is terrible. Let's face it. Even Delhi doesn't want to breathe Delhi's air. It's so toxic that experts are calling it a real-time apocalypse. Delhi has the worst AQI in the world, with India being the most polluted country in the world. Mumbai comes second but at 127 AQI, which is a far cry from the 456 that Delhi has. But people still need to survive. Life needs to go on. So here are some measures you can take to make your life a bit easier!
This is a public service announcement. Do not undertake any strenuous activity because if your lungs open up and you take a deep breath of Delhi's air, you may suffer beyond words. If you are one of those happy souls who walks, runs, or jogs in the morning, please stop doing so. Also, while exercising, you tend to breathe through your lips, thereby directly ingesting particulate matter, especially the larger ones that generally get filtered by the nose.
Please do yourself a favour and wear an N95/99 mask whenever you feel the need to step out. Firstly - throw away those supermarket COVID masks. Remember - there are two factors that you must take into account before you buy a mask. Make sure you are wearing something that can filter objects as small as 2.5 microns; otherwise, it's useless.
The US FDA recommends the N95 and N99. Secondly, the fit is critical. If it doesn't fit, you'd be better off throwing it away and purchasing a new one that does. Better mask up when faced with Delhi air.
By default, you must have an air purifier in your room to fight the air pollution. This is especially true if you are an old man or woman, have young children, or are pregnant. These groups are particularly vulnerable to the terrible consequences of air pollution.
Ensure they have an indoor air purifier doing its thing in their room so they don't have to inhale the particulate-matter-heavy air. No one should have to breathe the air in Delhi right now. If you check Delhi's pollution's latest news, you should get a good idea of why the air in Delhi is unfit for breathing.
Consume fruits for vitamin C and stock up on magnesium- and omega-rich foods for vitamin E. Doing so will keep your immunity high. A balanced diet is the best way to combat air pollution's negative effects. Essential vitamins A, C, and E assist in healing the body and safeguarding against inflammation that pollutants or other toxins cause.
Stock up on lemon, oranges, amla, and vitamin-E-rich foods like rice bran oil and almonds, peanuts, and hazelnuts. Spinach and broccoli are also great sources to fight the toxins from the inside out.
If your job permits, speak to your employer about the possibility of working from home. Move all your projects, appointments, and meetings indoors because outside is definitely not where you want to be during this period in Delhi. With an air quality index of 456, this city is so polluted that staying outdoors is a real-life hazard, and you can actually fall really ill if you breathe the polluted air hanging around Delhi.
If you experience shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, or other breathing issues, please speak to your doctor. Speak to them about comorbidities that could arise due to the terribly toxic air in Delhi. Breathing problems are not pleasant. Please ensure that you steer clear of them by implementing certain basic rules for your own health and safety.
With all the air pollution all around, please make sure that you are safe from Volatile Organic Compounds. Even when they are not being used, a lot of your off-the-shelf cleaning products might release dangerous VOCs.
Switching to low-VOC or non-VOC products and avoiding products with perfumes, combustible components, and irritants is important. High-VOC cleaning products must be kept out of your living space or in a storage room when they aren't being used. That will ensure that you don't breathe in VOCs on a daily basis in your living room.
Make sure you install an exhaust fan at home so that any pollutants in your home will promptly be expelled by the powerful blast of the exhaust fan. If you are cleaning or cooking, take enough steps to maximise proper ventilation. That includes using that exhaust fan in the house. Not having an exhaust fan is just inviting trouble. Don't fall victim to toxic fumes. Ensure that they have no place in your home.
Certain plants that purify the air, such as the Spider Plant, Peace Lily, aloe vera, Snake Plant, Bamboo Palm, and Philodendron, can be used at home and the office. They help purify the indoor air and bring down its pollutant level.
These indoor plants require little care, so you won’t have to worry about them dying. They're fantastic to have in the house or at the workplace because they not only lend a particular aesthetic to the environment but also purify it.
A sauna is great because it relaxes your airways and helps your body eliminate hazardous particle substances. Steam is your best friend. Once you sit in the sauna, you will eliminate all toxins by sweating. Another purification ritual you can do at home is inhaling some steam infused with a few drops of eucalyptus oil every evening, and see the magic it does for your lungs. Your lungs will thank you for the gentle treatment that the eucalyptus oil facilitates for them.
Always check your local pollution forecasts daily or use an authentic AQI website or mobile app that will give you a sense of the air pollution in and around your neighbourhood. Keeping an eye on the AQI will ensure you are abreast with pollution levels in and around your city. The AQI in Delhi right now is 456, which makes the air extremely hazardous and unfit for breathing.
Polluted air like that can cause respiratory illnesses like stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, trachea, bronchus and lung cancers, aggravated asthma and lower respiratory infections. During the period of 2008 to 2019, Delhi had the most deaths per year due to PM-2.5 exposure. 11.5% of all deaths in the period is attributable to air pollution. From air pollution, Delhi had about 12,000 deaths yearly, while Shimla had 59 deaths per year between 2008 and 19 — the lowest among the 10 cities.
Make sure you have a device that measures AQI, or you could just get it from the daily newspaper, like your weather alerts. Try to note when it changes so you can take precautions accordingly. Track pollution levels along major routes and at different times of the day. Usually, there are colour-coded projections so you can tell when the air in your neighbourhood is bad.
One thing you can do to prevent yourself from adding to the air pollutants is to quit or at least try to stop smoking. Smoking releases a lot of toxic fumes into the atmosphere, which is already loaded with toxins, so it is better that you stay away from cigarettes. Apart from the fact that they're loaded with carcinogens, cigarettes are not doing anyone a favour, especially if you light up in an enclosed environment.
Certain chores, like vacuuming and dusting, can create a storm of pollutants in the house, so it is better that you do not do any of these things, especially if it is so polluted outside. Vacuum cleaners help clean up your surroundings, but vacuuming kicks up dust, which is very difficult to deal with if it enters your living space. Please do not vacuum or dust your surroundings to stay safe during air pollution.
Be frugal with energy use in the house. Generating electricity and other sources of energy generates air pollution. By reducing energy use, you can help improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, boost energy independence, and save a lot of money. Try to be energy-wise during these extreme weather conditions in Delhi.
In conclusion, the air quality in Delhi is no joke. Make sure you take all the necessary steps to safeguard yourself from air pollution. Children and senior citizens are especially vulnerable, so make sure they're kept safely indoors. Stock up on masks and vitamins, and ensure you have a working exhaust fan and an indoor air purifier. An air quality index of 456 should have you worried about taking enough precautions so you breathe pure air within the confines of your home, nothing else. Staying clear of air pollution would mean you are safe from breathing problems. Because, as they say, safety is a priority, so nothing else matters.
