Air pollution in Islamabad set a new record on Wednesday, data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), an executive agency run by the Federal Ministry for Climate Change, has revealed.
According to EPA, the average concentration of PM 2.5 particulates in the federal capital yesterday stood at 198.96 micrograms per cubic meter. From 4 pm to 12 am, the concentration of PM 2.5 averaged 280.3 micrograms per cubic meter. EPA has never documented these figures for Islamabad until now.
Note that the acceptable average limit of PM 2.5 concentration set by EPA is 35 micrograms per cubic meter, which categorizes Islamabad’s air quality on Wednesday as ‘hazardous’ for human health.
EPA’s other parameters to assess the pollution level include the concentration of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the air. The acceptable limit for sulfur dioxide (SO2) is 120 micrograms per cubic meter and 80 micrograms per cubic meter for NO2.
The concentrations of both gases in Islamabad yesterday were recorded within EPA’s permissible limits. The concentration of SO2 stood at 19.88 micrograms per cubic meter and 43.44 micrograms per cubic meter for NO2.
Responding to the record-breaking development, a high-ranking EPA official said that the air quality of Islamabad has deteriorated primarily due to increased vehicular emissions coupled with a long spell of dry and cold weather.
The official added that the air quality of the federal capital will improve after rainfall which is expected from Saturday to Tuesday, advising the public to use facemasks outdoor.
