Delhi-NCR's PM2.5 levels jumped over 4 times in November: Dyson

Air pollution levels in Delhi-NCR shot up four times in November 2020 in comparison to the previous month, as per data recorded by British technology firm Dyson.

The average personal exposure to PM2.5 indoors was over four times worse during November compared to October, Dyson's air pollution data showed. PM2.5 is a particulate matter which is about 3 per cent the diameter of human hair and can lead to premature deaths from heart and lung diseases.

''Delhi and the surrounding area often experience an increase in pollution levels in the November period, which can be up to 7-8 times the safe levels prescribed by the World Health Organisation,'' it said.

Delhi-NCR is the latest region to be involved in Dyson’s air quality awareness project, in which a group of volunteers use Dyson wearable air sensing backpack and roam in the cities around the world to educate people about air pollution.

The project is part of a sustained effort by Dyson to educate individuals about air quality and empower people to take control of their pollution exposure, it added.

Dyson engineers had analysed the findings by pairing the air sensor and GPS data from a group of volunteers.

The volunteers wore the backpacks on October 3 (Phase 1), and then again in November 8 (Phase 2), repeating the same activities and routine in each phase.

''Compared to Phase 1 , the pollution data collected in Phase 2 indicated a significant increase in PM2.5 levels, with average levels rising by 459 per cent. These levels remained high both indoors and outdoors, irrespective of the activity taking place,'' it said.

Delhi frequently experiences higher pollution levels in winter, caused by several factors including wind direction and local seasonal activity like farm fires.

Dyson designs and manufactures household appliances, including vacuum cleaners, air purifiers, hand dryers and lights.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)