AIR QUALITY LIFE INDEX (AQLI)

About:

• The Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) measures the potential gain in life expectancy that communities could see if they reduced air pollution to comply with the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline or National standards.
  • The WHO’s recommended standard for what is considered safe exposure to annual particulate matter pollution is 10 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³).
    
    
  • Many countries also have national air quality standards.
    
    
  
  
  
• It is produced by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC).
  
  

Findings:

• Fossil fuel-driven particulate air pollution reduces global average life expectancy by 1.8 years, making it the single greatest threat to human health as compared to first-hand cigarette smoke (1.6 years); Alcohol and drugs (11 months) and Conflict and terrorism (22 days).
  
  
• Loss of life expectancy is highest in Asia. Together, India and China account for 73% of all years of life lost due to particulate pollution.
  
  
• If WHO guidelines on particulate concentration are followed, an average Indian would live 4.3 years longer.