In this study, the authors assessed the relationship between daily changes in respiratory health and particulate levels with diameters of (a) less than 10 μm (PM₁₀) and (b) less than 2.5 μm (PM_2.5) in Kanpur, India.

high-smoking zone: The number of smokers in Himachal Pradesh (HP) is alarmingly high. This despite the state having the second highest literacy rate in the country. Forty-five per cent of HP's

The detrimental effects of air pollution on health have been recognized for most of the last century. Effective legislation has led to a change in the nature of the air pollutants in outdoor air in developed countries, while combustion of raw fuels in the indoor environment remains a major health hazard in developing countries. The mechanisms of how these pollutants exert their effects are likely to be different, but there is emerging evidence that the toxic effects of new photochemical pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide are likely to be related to infection.

Exposure to air pollution affects pulmonary functions adversely. Effect of exposure to pollution on diurnal variation of peak flow was assessed in healthy students. Three hundred healthy age-matched nonsmoker students were studied. They were categorized into two groups on the basis of their residence: commuters and living on campus.

India is facing a serious double burden of disease. Most of the old infectious diseases like malaria, filariasis and kala-azar have not yet disappeared; indeed they are bouncing back. At the same time, other chronic non-communicable diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and respiratory disorders are becoming more dominant.