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Hazy morning in Delhi, clear day ahead: MeT department

It was a hazy morning in the national capital with a blanket of smog engulfing the city even as the minimum temperature settled at one notch above normal.

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It was a hazy morning in the national capital with a blanket of smog engulfing the city even as the minimum temperature settled at one notch above normal. "The minimum temperature was recorded at 15.3 degrees Celsius, a notch above normal," a Meteorological (MeT) official said.

The humidity level was recorded at 77 per cent at 8.30 AM.

The weatherman has forecast a clear day ahead with possibility of mist tomorrow morning.

"The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to hover at 27 and 12 degrees Celsius respectively," the weatherman said.

Yesterday, the maximum and minimum temperatures settled at 29.7 and 18 degrees Celsius respectively. 

Meanwhile, a study has warned that exposure to sources of outdoor pollution such as vehicle exhausts, and industrial emissions can increase a child's risk of developing autism spectrum disorder by up to 78 per cent.

The research followed children in Shanghai from birth to three years to understand the effect of exposure to fine particles (PM2.5).

The study included 124 ASD children and 1,240 healthy children in stages over a nine-year period, examining the association between air pollution and ASD.

The study, published in the journal Environment International, is first to examine the effects of long-term exposure of air pollution on ASD during the early life of children in a developing country, adding to previous studies that have already linked prenatal air pollution exposure to ASD in children.

"The causes of autism are complex and not fully understood, but environmental factors are increasingly recognised in addition to genetic and other factors," said Zhiling Guo, from Chinese Academy of Sciences.

"The developing brains of young children are more vulnerable to toxic exposures in the environment and several studies have suggested this could impact brain function and the immune system," Guo said.

"These effects could explain the strong link we found between exposure to air pollutants and ASD, but further research is needed to explore the associations between air pollution and mental health more broadly," he said.

Air pollution is a major public concern and is estimated to cause up to 4.2 million deaths (WHO) every year globally. Outdoor pollutants contribute to a high burden of disease and pre-mature deaths in countries including China and India, especially in densely populated areas.

According to Associate Professor Yuming Guo, from Monash University in Australia, global air pollution is rapidly becoming worse and there is no safe level of exposure.

"The serious health effects of air pollution are well-documented, suggesting there is no safe level of exposure. Even exposure to very small amounts of fine particulate matter have been linked to preterm births, delayed learning, and a range of serious health conditions, including heart disease," said Guo.

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