Study: In Chennai, where you live decides what you breathe
Chennai: In cities such as Chennai and Delhi, your street address, not your income, influences the air you breathe. A study found that neighbourhood economic status, not household income, plays a big role in exposure to PM2.5, tiny pollutants that enter the lungs and bloodstream.
From 2010 to 2016, poorer neighbourhoods away from the city's coast recorded higher pollution while central, wealthier areas near the shoreline benefited from sea breeze that helped disperse pollutants. "Wards with lower neighbourhood SES (socio-economic status) scores were exposed to higher PM2.5 concentrations in Chennai," said Jyothi S Menon, corresponding author of the study published in Environmental Research Letters.
In contrast, household-level SES, measured by income, education, and assets, had little effect. "Neighbourhood factors are on a similar spatial scale as air pollution compared to household-level SES," said Menon.
The study used data from more than 6,500 homes as part of the Centre for Cardiometabolic Risk Reduction in South Asia (CARRS) study in Chennai and Delhi. It covered coastal areas such as Ennore, Old Washermenpet, and Adyar; central areas such as Mambalam, Aminjikarai, and Koyambedu; and inland zones including Puzhal, Ambattur, Poonamallee, Pallavaram, Tambaram, Semmencheri, Meenambakkam, and Porur.
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Between 2010 and 2016, Chennai's annual average PM2.5 levels ranged from 35.96 to 41.89 µg/m³. While lower than Delhi's, it still exceeded India's national limit of 40 µg/m³ in some years and were higher than World Health Organization's guideline of 5 µg/m³. The authors said that despite higher emissions in some coastal zones, sea breeze helps dilute pollutants near the shore. Poorer inland wards lack this buffer.
Limited access to clean fuel, higher population density, and inadequate infrastructure contribute to higher emissions and less air circulation.
The research was carried out by a multi-institutional team including the Centre for Chronic Disease Control. Neighbourhood SES was calculated using 2011 census data on housing, fuel access, vehicle ownership, and basic amenities. PM2.5 levels were estimated using a high-resolution model based on satellite data and emissions records.
In both cities, PM2.5 exposure was higher in areas with larger populations from protected caste groups. A limitation of the study was the use of 2011 census data, which may not capture current trends.
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