Alarming levels of Ozone turn Delhi into a gas chamber

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Alarming levels of Ozone turn Delhi into a gas chamber
Alarming levels of Ozone turn Delhi into a gas chamber

New Delhi : Delhi has turned into a gas chamber with Ozone concentration reaching to alarming levels in past few months, says Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) study.

As per the findings in the study, on several occasions and several locations, between February and May 2017, the ozone concentration was found to be very high - 3.4 times the normal standard.

"Early deaths due to ozone pollution are the highest in India. The new burden of disease study by Health Effect Institute has shown that early deaths due to ozone have jumped by 148 per cent in India," it said.

Ozone, a more reactive form of oxygen, causes lung-related issues and heavy breathing. According to experts, its not directly emitted but is formed in a reaction between nitrogen oxides emitted from diesel vehicles and hydro-carbons in the presence of sunlight.

If experts are to be believed then diesel vehicles are the major source adding to the crisis by injecting nitrogen oxides (NOx).

"Diesel vehicles produce five times higher the NOx than the petrol vehicles... The BS-6 standard fuel, which would be launched in India in 2020, would drop this emission by 80 per cent," said Vivek Chatopadhyay of the CSE.

(With IANS inputs)