Chennai: Air samples taken from Tamil Nadu were found to be among the three most polluted in a pioneering national study on toxic gases in ambient air, conducted by the US Environment Protection Agency.
Two samples from Tamil Nadu, out of 21 air samples from various parts of India, were found to be among three most polluted samples.
An air sample from open garbage burning in Perungudi contained the highest number of chemicals in any Indian sample - 27 chemicals, including carcinogenic 1,3-butadiene and benzene at 34,782 and 2360 times higher than levels considered safe for residential air.
Another sample taken from near the effluent discharge point into the River Cauvery by Chemplast Sanmar's PVC plant in Mettur also qualified among three most polluted samples because it contained six cancer-causing chemicals in the 17 that were detected.
Carcinogenic vinyl chloride monomer and ethylene dichloride were found at more than 2000 and 32,000 times higher than safe levels, the study said. Both chemicals were used as raw material for manufacture of PVC by Chemplast.
The study titled 'Smoke Screen Ambient Air Quality in India' reports the presence of 45 chemicals, including 13 carcinogens, in 21 samples taken from various locations in India.
Of this 13 samples were taken from Tamil Nadu, including Mettur, Perungudi, Manali industrial area in North Chennai, downwind of Sterlite factory, Tuticorin and SIPCOT industrial complex, Cuddalore.
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