Air Pollution May Increase Anaemia Risk in Women: IIT-Delhi Study

By: WE staff | Thursday, 6 November 2025

• A recent study by IIT-Delhi found that long-term exposure to even "satisfactory" air quality can increase anaemia risk in adult women
• The study points out that air quality and health data are not being well connected

A recent study by IIT Delhi indicates that long-term exposure to "satisfactory" air quality levels can increase the chance of anaemia among women in India. It endorses the need for closer alignments between air quality and health indicators.

The article "Association between long-term exposure to multiple air pollutants and anaemia prevalence among women of reproductive age in India" employs a high-resolution dataset of co-located satellite-derived concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and ozone (O₃).

The authors used a direct linkage of air pollution exposure in India data from 2007-2016 and National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) data to assess long-term credentials from air pollution exposures on Haemoglobin measures.

The authors then investigated health impacts and effects from anaemia and concluded there were anaemia health effects across all AQI classification "satisfactory" and "moderate".

In other words, if someone were an AQI of 150, they would be 3.5 percent more likely to experience anaemia than someone in the same AQI classification of a score of 125, both of which were rated "moderate".

AQI levels are classified by the Central Pollution Control Board as 0–50: Good, 51–100: Satisfactory, 101–200: Moderate, 201–300: Poor, 301–400: Very Poor, above 400: Severe

The study found that anaemia prevalence tends to increase as AQI values increase from "satisfactory" to "moderate" levels; data was limited for AQI values greater than 175. The effect was significantly higher among women from lower-income and less-educated backgrounds.

"Even chronic exposure to air within the 'satisfactory' range may increase the anaemia risk for adult women," said Professor Sagnik Dey, Centre for Atmospheric Sciences, IIT Delhi.

He added that city-specific AQHI should consider local health risks in a better way-a suggestion mooted earlier in another study undertaken by IIT Delhi.

That related study, “A framework for city-specific air quality health index: A comparative assessment of Delhi and Varanasi, India,” contended that India’s current AQI does not capture health impacts.

Co-author Pallavi Joshi added that designing city-specific AQHIs using local health data offers a more apt picture of the health risks due to pollution than the existing nationwide system.