Delhi’s air pollution is a public health emergency, so why aren’t more people wearing masks? | The Indian Express

Delhi’s air pollution is a public health emergency, so why aren’t more people wearing masks? | The Indian Express

Updated: November 3, 2019 10:39:47 am

Delhi’s air pollution is a public health emergency, so why aren’t more people wearing masks?

Properly-fitting masks have been shown to dramatically reduce exposure to air pollution and to improve markers of respiratory health. And yet, few people in Delhi wear protective masks, even when travelling through heavily polluted areas.

Although the idea of distributing masks isn’t uncommon, the scale of Delhi’s effort is globally unprecedented.

– By Kenneth Lee, Michael Greenstone, Patrick Baylis and Harshil Sahai