New Delhi, Nov 25 (IANS) Even as Delhi is already reeling with air pollution for a month, the volcanic ash drifting from Ethiopia may further degrade the national capital’s air quality, raising serious health concerns, said health experts here on Tuesday.

Delhi-NCR’s air quality remained in ‘very poor’, and a thick layer of haze engulfed the national capital across Delhi and the National Capital Region, according to the Central Pollution Control Board.

The situation is likely to be further exacerbated by the Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia’s Afar region, which erupted for the first time in thousands of years.

It lofted a substantial ash column roughly 10-15 km into the atmosphere, sending plumes toward Yemen and Oman before drifting toward India.

With a speed of around 100-120 km/h at high altitude, the plume of ash reached Delhi, and then drifted over Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Punjab, and Haryana.

According to the latest update from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), it will move towards China next and is expected to leave India by 7:30 pm local time.

“Volcanic ash drifting from Ethiopia may further degrade Delhi’s air quality by adding fine particles and toxic metals,” Dr Abhishek Shankar, Assistant Professor in Radiation Oncology at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, told IANS.

“These ultrafine particles can penetrate deep into the lungs, aggravating respiratory issues, triggering asthma, and increasing vulnerability among children, older adults, and cancer patients, compounding the city’s already critical pollution-related health risks,” he added.

The worsening air pollution has been causing noticeable health issues among Delhiites, including watery eyes, asthma symptoms, itchy skin, and throat irritation.

Prolonged exposure can lead to more severe conditions, such as persistent coughing, chest tightness, wheezing, and shortness of breath.

“Air pollution does not leave any part of the body unaffected. Our respiratory system is the most commonly affected — nose, ears, throat, and lungs — because they are in direct contact with the air. So, there are a lot of respiratory diseases,” Dr. Anant Mohan, Professor & Head, Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Sleep Disorders, AIIMS Delhi, told IANS.

“All other organs, from the brain to any part of the body, heart, vessels, it is possible for everyone to have a heart attack or stroke,” he added.

The expert noted that poor air quality levels affect small children, and even before birth. “No age is exempt in this. Nor is there any organ of the body left,” the expert noted, stating it to treat the poor air quality in the national capital as “an emergency”.

Shankar noted that air pollution is emerging as an important risk factor for cancer, while a causal association has already been established for lung cancer and breast cancer.

“An increasing number of lung cancer cases among non-smoking females and young adults are largely attributed to air pollution, particularly Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5. Apart from increasing the risk for lung cancer, it also has an impact on outcome, but not much data from India on this,” the expert said.

Persistent exposure to toxic air triggers inflammation, oxidative stress, and DNA damage, leading to cancer development.

–IANS

rvt/