Air quality in Ahmedabad remained a concern on Friday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) touching 200 at 12.01 am. It improved slightly to 189 by 1.01 am and further declined to 158 at 4 am. However, pollution levels remained elevated, with the AQI fluctuating between 154 and 158 from 8 am to 10 am before rising again to 161–173 between 8 pm and 8.30 pm.
Experts have warned that rising air pollution could be contributing to an increasing number of lung cancer cases among people who have never smoked.
“Lung cancer is no longer exclusively a smoker’s disease. Although tobacco remains the leading preventable risk factor, we are increasingly recognising lung cancer in individuals who have never smoked, particularly women and relatively younger patients,” said Dr Harjit Dumra.
He added that India records an estimated 80,000–100,000 new lung cancer cases annually.
Other contributing exposures
Experts point out that exposure to a combination of environmental pollutants, including vehicular emissions, industrial pollution, construction dust and household biomass smoke, may contribute to the risk of lung cancer among non-smokers.
They emphasise that while tobacco consumption continues to be a major risk factor, prolonged exposure to polluted air and other environmental hazards also warrants attention.