Human health risk assessment due to air pollution in 10 urban cities in Maharashtra, India

This study assesses human health risk in 10 cities in Maharashtra, India, in terms of mortality and morbidity due to three critical pollutants (i.e. PM10, SO2, and NO2). Risk of mortality/morbidity due to air pollution (Ri-MAP) model adopted in air quality health impact assessment (AirQ) software is used to evaluate the direct health impacts of various critical air pollutants in various cities in Maharashtra during the period 2004-2013. The result shows that excess number of mortality and morbidity in Nagpur, Thane, Aurangabad, Kolhapur, and Chandrapur is in increasing trend, while cities like Mumbai and Solapur are in decreasing trend, and other cities as Pune, Nashik, and Navi-Mumbai are in a steady-state condition. Cities having highest annual average excess number of total mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and respiratory motility in one million population are Mumbai (1,192, 724, and 121) (high population city), Chandrapur (944, 533, and 98) (low population city), Navi-Mumbai (797, 492, and 84), and Pune (733, 449, and 78) in decreasing order. Cities having highest annual average of hospital admission due to respiratory disease and cardiovascular disease among one million population are in decreasing order: Mumbai (1,519 and 582), Chandrapur (1,173 and 451), Navi-Mumbai (986 and 378), Pune (901 and 348), and Solapur (797 and 320).