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Understanding Air Quality

With special focus on India
Air Quality Guide for 5th-6th Grade Students

Videos for Students –

Air Quality Index - [Link]
17 Effective Ways to Improve Air Quality in your Home - [Link]
How this couple from Delhi defeated Air Pollution - [Link]
Health Effects of Air Pollution - [Link]
How China improved its Air Quality – a success story - - [Link]

CONTENT:
1. What is Air Quality?
2. What is Air Quality Index?
3. Air Pollution in India – The Big Picture
4. Major Causes of Air Pollution in India
5. Health Effects of Air Pollution
6. Seasonal Air Quality Patterns
7. Government’s initiatives
8. What students can do
9. How to protect yourself from Air Pollution
10. Technology Solutions
11. Success Stories and Hope for the Future
12. Fun Facts About Air and Pollution
13. Important Terms to Remember
14. Activities
15. Key messages

1. What is Air Quality?

Understanding Air Quality

 Air quality means how clean or polluted the air around us is

 Clean air is invisible, odourless, and safe to breathe
 Polluted air contains harmful substances that can make us sick
 We breathe about 20,000 times per day - so air quality really matters!
 Good air quality = healthy lungs and bodies
 Poor air quality = breathing problems, illness, and discomfort
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What Makes Air Dirty?

 Dust and particles too small to see with our eyes

 Harmful gases from vehicles, factories, and burning
 Smoke from cigarettes, cooking, and fires
 Chemical fumes from paints, cleaners, and industries
 Natural pollutants like pollen and volcanic ash

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2. What is Air Quality Index ?

 AQI = Air Quality Index - like a report card for air

 Numbers from 0 to 500 tell us how clean or dirty the air is
 Lower numbers = cleaner air
 Higher numbers = more polluted air
 Updated daily on apps and websites

AQI Categories in India:

 0-50 (Good) � - Air is clean, safe for everyone

 51-100 (Satisfactory) � - Air is okay for most people
 101-200 (Moderate) � - May cause problems for sensitive people
 201-300 (Poor) � - Unhealthy for everyone
 301-400 (Very Poor) � - Serious health warnings
 401-500 (Severe) �� - Emergency conditions, very dangerous

How to Check AQI:

 Government and other apps: Air Quality India, SAFAR – Air, SAMEER, IQAir
 Websites: Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
 Weather apps often show AQI
 News channels report daily AQI for major cities

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3. Air Pollution in India - The Big Picture

India's Air Quality Challenge

 India has 14 of the world's 20 most polluted cities

 Delhi often has the worst air quality in the world
 Northern states generally more polluted than southern states
 Winter months (October-February) are usually worst
 Over 1.6 million people die each year due to air pollution in India

Most Polluted Indian Cities (often in top Cleanest Air Cities in India:
rankings):

 Delhi - National Capital Region  Satna (Madhya Pradesh)

 Gurgaon - Industrial City near Delhi  Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh)
 Noida - Part of Delhi NCR  Shivamogga (Karnataka)
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 Faridabad - Industrial Center  Mysuru (Karnataka)

 Ghaziabad - Manufacturing Hub  Vijayapura (Karnataka)
 Patna - Capital of Bihar  Bagalkot (Karnataka)
 Lucknow - Capital of Uttar Pradesh  Madikeri (Karnataka)
 Agra - Home to Taj Mahal  Aizawl (Mizoram
 Kanpur - Industrial City
 Varanasi - Holy City on Ganges

4. Major Causes of Air Pollution in India

1. Vehicle Emissions � 2. Industrial Pollution �

 30% of air pollution comes from vehicles  Factories and power plants burn
 Cars, buses, trucks, auto-rickshaws burning coal and oil
petrol and diesel  Steel, cement, and chemical
 Two-wheelers are very popular but pollute a industries release harmful gases
lot  Thermal power plants burn coal
 Traffic jams make pollution worse for electricity
 Old vehicles pollute much more than new ones  Small industries often don't follow
pollution rules
 Industrial areas have much worse
air quality

3. Crop Burning � 4. Construction and Dust �

 Farmers burn leftover crops after harvest  Building construction creates lots
(called stubble burning) of dust
 Punjab and Haryana burn rice stubble in  Road construction and digging
October-November releases particles
 Smoke travels to Delhi making air quality  Unpaved roads contribute dust
very bad when vehicles pass
 Cheaper than proper disposal but very  Demolition activities spread
harmful harmful particles
 Government trying to provide alternatives  Wind blows dust from construction
to farmers sites across cities

5. Burning Waste and Garbage � 6. Household Cooking and Heating

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 Open burning of trash in streets and landfills
 Plastic burning releases very toxic fumes  Cooking with wood, coal, or
 Illegal waste burning happens in many areas kerosene in rural areas
 Lack of proper waste management in many  Indoor air pollution from
cities traditional stoves
 Poor people burn waste for warmth in winter  Burning dung and crop residue for
fuel
 Poor ventilation in homes traps
polluted air
 Affects women and children most
as they spend more time indoors
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5. Health Effects of Air Pollution

Immediate Effects (Short-term): Long-term Effects:

 Coughing and sneezing more often  Lung diseases like asthma and
 Itchy, watery eyes and runny nose bronchitis
 Scratchy throat and difficulty speaking  Heart problems from breathing polluted
 Headaches and feeling tired air for years
 Breathing problems during exercise  Reduced lung function and breathing
 Worsening of asthma attacks capacity
 Higher risk of lung cancer
 Premature death from air pollution-
related diseases
 Stunted growth in children

Who Gets Affected Most?

 Children - their lungs are still developing

 Elderly people - weaker immune systems
 People with asthma or lung diseases
 Pregnant women - can affect unborn babies
 People who work outdoors - traffic police, construction workers
 People in heavily polluted areas

6. Seasonal Air Quality Patterns in India

Winter (December-February): Summer (March-May):

 Worst air quality of the year  Dust storms from Rajasthan affect air quality
 Cold air traps pollution close to ground  Higher temperatures can increase some
 Less wind to blow away pollutants pollutants
 More coal burning for heating  Better air circulation helps disperse pollution
 Crop burning adds to pollution  Construction activity increases dust
 AQI often above 300 in northern cities  Generally better than winter but still
unhealthy

Monsoon (June-September): Post-Monsoon (October-November):

 Rain washes away pollutants from air  Crop burning season begins
 Best air quality of the year in most places  Weather conditions start trapping pollution
 High humidity can trap some pollutants  Festivals with fireworks add to pollution
 Flooding can create temporary pollution  Air quality starts deteriorating rapidly
problems  Preparation period for worst winter pollution
 AQI usually in satisfactory range

7. Government Efforts to Control Air Pollution

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National Clean Air Programme (NCAP):

 Goal: Reduce air pollution by 20-30% by 2024

 Focus: 131 most polluted cities
 Monitoring: More air quality monitoring stations
 Action plans: Each city must make pollution reduction plan

Vehicle Pollution Control:

 BS-VI fuel standards - cleaner petrol and diesel

 Electric vehicle promotion - subsidies for EVs
 Odd-even scheme in Delhi - cars with odd/even numbers on alternate days
 Vehicle fitness tests to remove old, polluting vehicles
 CNG buses and auto-rickshaws in many cities

Industrial Regulations:

 Pollution control boards monitor factory emissions

 Environmental clearances required for new industries
 Penalties for industries that pollute
 Cleaner technologies being promoted
 Industrial areas being moved away from cities

Crop Burning Solutions:

 Happy Seeder machines help farmers avoid burning

 Subsidies for farmers to buy non-burning equipment
 Awareness campaigns about harmful effects
 Alternative uses for crop residue being promoted
 Penalties for farmers who burn crops (though rarely enforced)

8. What Students Can Do to Help

At Home:

 Walk, cycle, or use public transport instead of private vehicles

 Car pooling with friends and family
 Turn off lights and fans when not needed (less electricity = less coal burning)
 Plant trees and indoor plants - they clean the air
 Don't burn leaves or trash in your garden
 Use less plastic - reduces waste burning
 Keep windows closed during high pollution days

At School:

 Tree plantation drives in school campus

 Car-free days - encourage walking to school
 Air quality monitoring projects
 Awareness campaigns for other students
 Green transportation - school buses using CNG
 Indoor plants in classrooms
 Dust control - water spraying on grounds
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In Community:

 Report illegal burning to authorities

 Join environmental clubs or NGOs
 Spread awareness about air pollution
 Participate in clean-up drives
 Support tree planting in neighbourhoods
 Use social media to raise awareness
 Write to local leaders about air quality issues

9. How to Protect Yourself from Air Pollution

On High Pollution Days: Daily Protection: Masks and Protection:

 Stay indoors as much as  Check AQI before  N95 masks filter out 95%
possible planning outdoor activities of particles
 Keep windows and doors  Avoid busy roads and  Cloth masks provide some
closed traffic areas protection but limited
 Use air purifiers if  Exercise indoors when  Surgical masks are not
available AQI is above 100 effective against air
 Avoid outdoor exercise  Eat healthy foods rich in pollution
and sports antioxidants  Children should use
 Wear N95 masks when  Stay hydrated - drink smaller-sized masks
going outside plenty of water  Replace masks regularly
 Use air-conditioned  Have indoor plants to for effectiveness
spaces when possible purify indoor air

10. Technology Solutions for Air Quality

Air Purifiers: Monitoring Technology: Green Transportation:

 HEPA filters remove  Air quality sensors in  Electric vehicles producing

particles from indoor air cities zero direct emissions
 Activated carbon removes  Mobile apps for real-time  CNG and LPG vehicles
gases and odors AQI cleaner than petrol/diesel
 UV lights kill bacteria and  Satellite monitoring of  Hybrid vehicles using both
viruses pollution from space electric and fuel
 Size matters - choose right  Personal air quality  Metro systems reducing
size for room monitors for individuals traffic pollution
 Maintenance required -  Smart city initiatives  E-rickshaws replacing
regular filter changes using IoT for pollution diesel auto-rickshaws
tracking

11. Success Stories and Hope for the Future

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Positive Changes:

 Beijing Olympics 2008 - showed how quickly air can improve with strong action
 COVID-19 lockdowns - demonstrated natural air cleaning when emissions stopped
 Electric vehicle adoption growing rapidly in India
 Renewable energy expansion reducing coal dependence
 Awareness increasing among young people

Clean Air Success Stories in India:

 Pune's odd-even trial showed immediate AQI improvement

 Indore's waste management reducing burning pollution
 Karnataka's tree planting improving regional air quality
 Kerala's electric bus adoption reducing transport emissions
 Himachal Pradesh's plastic ban reducing burning

Future Solutions:

 Artificial rain (cloud seeding) to wash away pollutants

 Vertical forests in cities
 Solar and wind energy replacing coal
 Smart traffic systems reducing vehicle emissions
 Waste-to-energy plants instead of burning

12. Fun Facts About Air and Pollution

Amazing Air Facts:

 Air weighs something! - A column of air weighs about 14.7 pounds per square inch
 We breathe 11,000 liters of air every day
 Trees are air purifiers - one tree produces oxygen for 2 people per day
 Indoor air can be 5 times more polluted than outdoor air
 Plants can remove toxic gases from indoor air

Pollution Records:

 Delhi's worst AQI ever recorded was 999 in November 2019

 Taj Mahal is turning yellow due to air pollution
 India loses $95 billion annually due to air pollution
 PM2.5 particles are 30 times smaller than the width of human hair
 One cigarette worth of pollution is breathed daily in heavily polluted cities

13. Important Terms to Remember

 PM2.5 - Very tiny particles that go deep into lungs

 PM10 - Slightly larger particles, still harmful
 Ozone - Gas that protects us high up but harms us at ground level
 Carbon Monoxide - Poisonous gas from vehicle exhaust
 Smog - Mixture of smoke and fog, common in polluted cities
 Emission - Pollutants released into air
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 CPCB - Central Pollution Control Board (India's air quality authority)

14. Activities for Students

Research Projects:

 Compare AQI of 5 Indian cities for one week

 Interview family members about air quality changes over years
 Study correlation between festivals and air quality
 Research success stories of cities that improved air quality
 Create awareness posters about air pollution health effects

Science Experiments:

 Make a simple air quality indicator using pH strips

 Observe dust collection on different surfaces
 Plant growth experiment in clean vs polluted air simulation
 Create lung model to show effects of pollution
 Test indoor vs outdoor air quality using simple methods

Action Projects:

 Tree plantation drives in school/community

 Car-free day campaigns
 Air quality monitoring using apps
 Waste segregation to reduce burning
 Letter writing to local authorities about air quality issues

15. Key Messages for Students

Remember:

 Air pollution is a serious problem but we can solve it together

 Every small action counts - from walking to school to planting trees
 Knowledge is power - understanding air quality helps protect yourself
 You are the future - your generation can make the biggest difference
 Clean air is a right - everyone deserves to breathe safely
 Technology and nature working together can solve this problem

Your Air Quality Promise:

✓ I will check AQI before outdoor activities

✓ I will choose walking, cycling, or public transport when possible
✓ I will not burn waste or leaves
✓ I will plant and care for trees
✓ I will spread awareness about air pollution
✓ I will support clean energy and green technology
✓ I will be part of the solution, not the problem
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