Dear Director General,

World Health Organization (WHO) Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland

Subject: Petition to request WHO to notify safe air quality standards for extremely fine particulate matter PM1

Air pollution has emerged as a very important issue due to its adverse impact on human health and the surrounding environment. Accurate monitoring and measurements are important aspects of pollution control strategies. Globally, various studies have already reported the concentrations and negative impacts of PM2.5 and PM10 on human health. However, very few studies focus on much finer particles i.e., particles having a diameter less than 1 micron (PM1), which are even more lethal than PM2.5 and PM10. Moreover, till now there are no safe baseline values for PM1 concentrations. We believe, once the safe air quality standard for PM1 is established and notified, there would be a much greater focus on accurate measurement, monitoring, source control, and mitigation strategies for PM1 in ambient air. It is anticipated that such efforts would greatly contribute towards protecting environment and human health and save millions of lives each year lost due to air pollution worldwide.

With this background, Global Council for Environment and Health Inc.(GlobalCEH), an organisation consisting of a team of passionate and dynamic academicians, researchers and social workers working for the cause of environment protection and prevention of environmental related health problems have launched a campaign called “CATS” (Clean Air to Survive). We are hereby submitting this petition to your good office/esteemed organization for your immediate kind attention to set up safe limit/standards for PM1 in ambient air. For reference, please find detail description of our petition as follows below and in the link at the end.

 ABOUT THIS PETITION

“Finer the particles severe the problem. Act before it gets late, Set safe limit for PM1"

This petition is dedicated to save the lives of millions of people globally from the harmful effects of extremely finer particles i.e., PM1 which is a very dangerous air pollutant. Without having the safe limit/standard, we may not be able to formulate appropriate rules and policies regarding measurement, source control and taking further mitigative measures. Hence, it is imperative to set/notify PM1 standard first on an immediate basis. Team members of Global Council for Environment and Health Inc. (GlobalCEH), have launched a campaign called Clean Air to Survive (CATS), requesting World Health Organization to notify the safe air quality standard for PM1.

INTRODUCTION TO THE PROBLEM

Ambient Air Pollution (AAP) has emerged as one of the serious hazards to human health worldwide especially in developing nations like China and India. Urbanization, industrialization, rapid growth of vehicles, construction activities, burning of agricultural wastes, all in an unsustainable manner, are the primary contributors to air pollutants. Air pollution is currently in the fifth position of global risk factors for mortality. The global estimations in 2017 report that it contributes approximately 4.9 million deaths globally annually which comprises almost 8.7% of all deaths which happen at global level along with 5.9% lost to disability of all life years of human beings. Globally, AAP is estimated to cause about 26%, 25%, 17%, and 16% of deaths caused due to respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke, and lung cancer respectively. These deaths majorly occured due to exposure to small particulate matter of size 2.5 microns or less in diameter (PM2.5).

Research studies show that particle size is one of the most important factors which determine the health effects of particulate matter. Studies have reported the harmful effects of high exposure to PM10, and PM2.5 on human health. Now a days, PM1 which is a major part of PM2.5 is gaining more attention due to its chronic effects on human health. Hence, it is the right time now to move further and think about much finer particle of size 1.0 microns or less in diameter i.e. PM1.

These finer particles are even more hazardous to human health as they can enter into the circulatory system. These finer PM1 particles can travel to the deepest part of the lungs during inhalation and passes through the alveolar cell membranes, through which they enter into the bloodstream, damage the inner walls of arteries, penetrate tissue in the cardiovascular system and potentially spread to the organs. PM1 is responsible for deadly diseases like heart attacks, lung cancer, dementia, emphysema, edema and other serious disease, leading to premature death. The toxicity of PM1 reportedly increases when other toxic species such as heavy metals, organic and elemental carbon and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are attached with these finer particles. According to a WHO report, PM1 and PM between 0.1 μm and 1 μm in diameter can remain in the atmosphere for days or weeks and thus be subject to long exposures and long-range transboundary transport.

Prof. Tarun Gupta and his research team from IIT Kanpur, India has identified that 16 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) compound attached on PM1 particles (PM1 average concentration 160.16 ± 37.70 μg/m3), which results in increasing toxicity of these finer particles. In their study they reported that PAHs pose as a serious hazard to human health and results in incremental lifetime cancer risks. In their another study they reported that vehicular emission is the main source contributing to PM1 mass with minor contributions from paved road dust and coal combustion. Another study from JNU, Delhi by Akash Kumar and Arun Srivastava have found the presence of organic and elemental carbon with PM1 and average PM1 level as 139.52±49.20 μg/m3 in Delhi’s outdoor air.

A study conducted by Gungbo Chen and colleagues for 26 Chinese cities in “The Lancet Planetary Health” reported the elevated risks for emergency hospitalization with increase in PM1 concentration. Similarly, a study of 65 Chinese cities have been published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters, by Peng Yin and his colleagues. They have found that for every 10 μg/m3 increase in PM1, there is an increase of 21% risks of cardiovascular diseases than the risk related to PM2.5. Together these findings suggest that PM1 has adverse effects on the health of the general population and strengthen the rationale for restricting levels of PM1 in outdoor air.

A study from Istanbul, Turkey has identified that about 20% of the PM2.5 and PM1 mass was constituted of 23 elements (Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, As, Rb, Sr, Y, Mo, Ba) with average concentration of PM1 ranged as 7.6 - 30.2 μg/m3.

A panel study of healthy school children aged 13–14 years from Poland observed the greater health effect for PM1 compared to PM2.5 on the lung function parameters. Simultaneously, in a study of Central Europe, daily concentration of PAHs in PM1 was observed higher at industrial site. An Australian study has shown that long term exposure to vehicle emissions has been associated with harmful health effects. These studies are collectively showing the urge of regular monitoring of PM1 mass concentrations as these finer particles may be more important for health effects than bigger size PM fractions.

International research on PM1 reports that these finer particulate matter PM1 in ambient air was recorded at very dangerous levels (nearly 200-300 µg/m3) during October-November in New Delhi, India as per the NASA Report. Such finer particles were recorded to be way higher than national ambient air quality standards.

Finally, through this petition, we would like to request all the national and international bodies, protection authorities, the governments, NGOs, all associated individuals and groups to sign this petition and request WHO to define the prescribed safe limit for much fine particle PM1 to save the lives of millions globally.

Could you please also share this petition through your network to other individuals and groups to sign and support this cause?

The studies carried out for PM1 all over the globe are listed in this LINK

Thanking You and Kind Regards,

For and on behalf of Global Council for Environment and Health Inc

Manoj Kumar, (Founder of GlobalCEH),

Mob: +61 490 027 504, Email: info@globalceh.com