In the last few years, New Delhi has been on several lists of the most polluted capital cities around the world. A study determined that the large amounts of chloride from the uncontrolled burning of waste are largely responsible for the high urban pollution suffered by the capital city of Delhi, India. Plastic not only pollutes the sea but also the air.
We use plastics every day. It is a material that has made possible the development of humanity for the last 100 years. A light and versatile material that has reduced the weight of goods, and that is in a lot of products we use today. The problem is that it has also polluted the planet, leaked into the environment. Once it is discarded, it remains practically unchanged, polluting land, water, and, the air.
Scientists have wondered why the city of Delhi was more prone to persistent, even chronic, smog. The explanation for this phenomenon is found in a recent Indian study that has located the presence of a high level of chloride in the atmosphere.
Plastic Air Pollution
As explained in this new scientific work, these types of particles are mainly present in areas close to the coast, but the air in the inner Delhi region has levels much higher than normal. In addition to these particles, the researchers who have made this report published in the British newspaper The Guardian point out that they also found other equally dangerous pollutants that increased in a similar way in recent years.
Delhi is one of the most polluted capitals in the world.
But how did these high concentrations of chloride originate in a city so far from the sea? In their observations, the scientists discovered that this chemical fingerprint matched with household waste. When citizens burn household waste with a high presence of plastics: bags, packaging, containers and wrappers, and other daily objects. This practice causes the release of large amounts of chloride into the atmosphere. It is estimated to account for half of the toxic smog that forms over Delhi.
Waste management issue
The main issue causing plastic air pollution is an unsustainable solid waste management system. Plastics are not adequately managed, and they end up in open burning and landfill fires. Over 90% of the waste generated daily by its twenty-two million inhabitants ends up being incinerated. Either in open-air landfills or, used as fuel in the home.
IPCC has estimated that unsustainable waste management accounts for 2% of global gas emissions with the greenhouse effect that is causing the climate crisis.
When the waste is burned, large amounts of dioxins and other highly toxic pollutants are released. These pollutants can persist in the food chain acting as carcinogens.
Modern WTE plants also combust waste but with advanced controls, high temperatures, and pollutant abatement technologies. These are effective and safe options for non-recyclable waste and sometimes include carbon capture. But this does not happen when citizens burn plastics at home or outdoors and end up poisoning the air.
Chloride release has also the risk to alter the soil composition and potentially reducing the yields of agricultural crops by up to 30%. This not only happens in New Dehli but also in other Indian regions. Pollutant concentration reaches the highest levels in cities.
Towards a Zero Waste solution
Action is needed to solve the public health and environmental disaster. The city needs to develop policies that target waste avoidance and reduction. Separating waste at source, and recycling, composting, and increasing waste diversion from landfills and open burning.
It is challenging as the rising amount of waste means rising costs for governments and pressure on the environment.
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