New Delhi, Sept. 2 -- In a first-of-its-kind study examining health risks from airborne pathogens over metropolitan cities like Delhi, a team of Indian researchers has uncovered alarming evidence: pathogenic bacteria responsible for respiratory, gastrointestinal, oral, and skin infections are twice as prevalent in densely populated urban areas due to elevated concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5).
The research highlights that the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) - one of the world's most densely inhabited and polluted regions - faces a unique confluence of meteorological and environmental factors during winter. Western disturbances cause a sharp drop in temperature and a rise in relative humidity, leading to stagnant air and a low bou...