New Delhi, Nov. 17 -- We are in the midst of peak pollution in the Indo-Gangetic plain in India. We often talk about the sources of pollution, but rarely about what this pollution actually contains. This might be the time to revisit an under discussed 2023 study by Japanese scientist Eriko Yamazaki and others about India's road dust. The researchers studied 79 road dust samples. The results are ominous: the dust carries forever chemicals. These chemicals are among the most dangerous substances we know. They do not break down; instead, they mimic our hormones and can lead to cancers, thyroid problems, immune suppression and several other diseases that often cannot even be clearly identified or traced. The researchers collected road dust from 12 states, including Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, and found 21 different types of forever chemicals. These come from industries such as packaging, textiles and foam. Even when industries follow standards, some emissions are almost inevitable. We need to worry about this far more than we realise because dust is now part of our everyday lives. During peak pollution, even washing our hair shows how much dust settles on us. Toddlers are particularly vulnerable because they crawl, touch, and even ingest dust. India must use this data to build a robust system to fight forever chemicals-reducing emissions, shifting to cleaner production, restricting releases, and managing dust safely. It is complicated, but it needs investment, technology and will. Our economy cannot grow with a sick workforce. To meet our aspirations, we need to clean up, urgently....