Delhi men breathe in more air pollution than women, says study
A five-year study across Delhi found that men are exposed to much higher levels of air pollution than women—about 1.2 to 1.4 times more—whether they're sitting or walking around the city.
Why are men getting hit harder?
Researchers say it's mostly because men tend to spend more time outdoors and have a higher breathing volume, so they end up inhaling more pollutants like PM2.5 and PM10.
The worst exposure happened in industrial zones and during festival periods like Diwali, when particulate matter deposition in the lungs nearly doubled compared to pre-festival days.
How bad is it really?
On over three-quarters of the days studied, PM10 exposure was way above safe limits—10 times India's standard and 40 times what the WHO recommends.
That kind of air can lead to serious problems like asthma and chronic lung disease, especially for people spending lots of time outside.