Experts sound alarm as Hyderabad chokes on ground-level ozone from cars

HYDERABAD: Ground level ozone pollution in the city is rising alarmingly, shows data collated by the Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB). Sounding a word of caution,environmentalists say that this could become a major cause for concern for the city.

Figures from January to April show that areas in and around Hyderabad Central University (HCU) saw a steep rise in ground-level ozone pollution, especially during January to March. This was followed by Bollaram, which recorded a rise in January.

“The ozone layer is formed due to pollution from vehicles, especially during peak hours. Usually, the most polluted time is from 9am to 6pm, as there is a steep rise in traffic during this time,” said T Veerana, joint chief environmental scientist, TSPCB.

Expertscitethehightemperatures coupled with winds carrying a high level of pollutants asthe reason for theincrease in ground level ozone. “Increase in ground level ozone can be harmful as it indicates the inclusion of primary pollutants like nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons,” said M Sudheer, an environmental expert.

Exposure to low amounts of ozone can cause cough, dry mouth and headaches, while longterm exposure, when ozone concentration in the air rises above 180 micrograms per cubic metre, can exacerbate health issues such as asthma and heart disease.

“Inhaling air withhighconcentration of ozone can cause musclesin the airwaystoconstrict making it difficult to breathe. It can also cause inflammation and damage the airways,” said VV Ramana Prasad, consultant interventional pulmonologist at KIMS Hospitals.

The PCB data on ground levelozone pollution is primarily drawn from six air quality stations— Sanathnagar,ZooPark, IDA Pashamylaram, Bollaram Industrial Area, Icrisat Patancheru and Central University.

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