Chart: Check out the 10 cities that suffer the worst air pollution in India

According to a WHO study released on Wednesday, Delhi is the most polluted city in the world in terms of air quality.

The 2014 version of the Ambient Air Pollution (AAP) database contains results of outdoor air pollution monitoring from almost 1,600 cities in 91 countries.

The national capital has the highest concentration of PM2.5 – particulate matter of less than 2.5 microns– a form of air pollution, which is considered the most serious. This form of concentration, which consists of tiny particles, puts people at additional risk of respiratory diseases and other health problems, the World Health Organisation said.

The situation is so bad in Delhi that its air has PM2.5 concentrations of 153 micrograms and PM10 concentrations of 286 micrograms–much more than the permissible limits. In comparison, Beijing, which was once considered one of the most polluted cities, has a PM2.5 concentration of 56 micrograms and PM10 concentration of 121 micro grammes.

More from Life

Caste in the USA, Episode 7: Why the Savarna controlling of public policy normalises casteism, foils diversity UNDERSTANDING THE BLIND SPOTS

Bihar’s capital city, Patna, is the second most polluted city in India with a PM2.5 concentration of 149 micrograms. The most polluted cities in India after Delhi and Patna are Gwalior, Raipur and Ahmedabad.

The following chart shows the most polluted cities in India:

Reacting to the report, Anumita Roychowdhury of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said the new WHO data base only confirms the health concerns in India. “According to global burden of disease estimates, air pollution is the fifth largest killer in India. Tiny particles (PM10 and PM2.5) go deep inside our lungs and trigger respiratory and cardiac problems as well as lung cancer,” she told PTI.

With inputs from Agencies