High levels of heavy metals found in Delhiites after 2017 Diwali: CPCB study

A Central Pollution Control Board study released on Wednesday found high levels of heavy metals like barium and strontium, commonly used in firecrackers, in urine samples collected after last year’s Diwali. The study, however, does not contain data on levels before the festival and so, the authors warned against correlating the increase to firecrackers burst during the festival.

Compounds of both barium and strontium are harmful to humans and could trigger a range of disease related to the heart, lungs and bones.

In 2017, the Supreme Court had banned the sale of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR. According to reports, the capital witnessed its cleanest Diwali in three years although air quality was classified as “very poor”.

For the study, at least 470 samples were collected during the post-Dusshera period, and 787 samples were collected after Diwali from citizens from Pitampura, Kotla, Siri Fort and Parivesh Bhawan areas.

“None of the samples whom we had chosen for the study were patients. They were all normal citizens and the samples were collected from door-to-door,” said Dr M K Daga, director of the department of medicine at Maulana Azad Medical College, who led the study conducted by the Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health on the direction of the CPCB.

“There was evidence of increased values of barium and strontium in urine samples of many subjects. It is also possible that the individuals were exposed due to bursting of fire crackers directly or indirectly in their locality,” the CPCB report, released on Wednesday, read. The report’s release was in compliance with the Supreme Court order that directed it to publish on its website all studies since 2010. “The level of lead in urine was above permissible limit in Siri Fort area, with nine out of ten samples in the danger mark. The level of strontium in urine was above permissible limit in four out of ten samples in Siri Fort and Parivesh Bhawan areas. Other areas also showed high lead and strontium levels.”

“It would be too dogmatic to say that the concentration of heavy metals increased solely due to bursting of fire crackers. For this we need to collect data of these metals in the air even during the pre-Diwali period for a period of at least five years,” said Daga.

In a separate section of the study, 20 hospitals too were surveyed.

There was a 20 per cent increase in admission of people in four hospitals, with stroke-related symptoms post-Diwali. There was a 40% increase in hospital admission due to cardiac problems post-Diwali in eight hospitals, the study said.

There was a 45% increase in hospital admission due to respiratory problems post-Diwali in nine hospitals and there was a 10 per cent increase in hospital admission due to burns post-Dussehra in two hospitals, the report said.

In another section, the study noted that there was excessive watering, redness and burning sensation in the eyes post–Diwali among the sample groups .

In 2018, the Supreme Court had asked the CPCB to monitor air quality in Delhi seven days before and after Diwali. This report has been submitted before the court and is yet to be made public.

First Published: Dec 21, 2018 10:08 IST