IMPACT OF AIR POLLUTION ON RESPIRATORY DISEASES: A CASE STUDY IN URBAN AREAS

Abstract

Even though urban air pollution is still a major public health concern, highly populated cities like Delhi, India, are among the most affected. This has led to association of increased respiratory disease prevalence with the exposure to PM2.5, PM10, NO₂, SO₂, CO, and O₃, including asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and bronchitis. The study was to analyze the trend of air pollution and its correlation with respiratory disease hospitalizations in Delhi from 2019 to 2024. The design used was a retrospective observational case study. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) had provided air quality data, and AIIMS, LNJP and Safdarjung Hospital had provided hospital records on respiratory disease prevalence. The concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 exceeded World Health Organisation (WHO) safety limits, and the highest levels were recorded in 2023 and 2024. Five years hospital admissions increased by 31 percent and there was a strong correlation between PM2.5 and respiratory diseases (r = 0.88, p < 0.01), however, pollution and hospitalization rates were at their peak in winter months. The study showed a strong tie between respiratory diseases and air pollution, to which PM2.5 and NO₂ were those with the strongest association. Fingers are pointed here at the urgent need for stricter pollution control policies and public health interventions to reduce Delhi from being a place with high respiratory health risks.