ISLAMABAD, Dec 31: Increased urbanisation and a growing number of vehicles on the country’s roads are causing extensive damage to the environment, with over 22,000 people losing their lives to air particulate pollution every year, according to a study sponsored by the World Bank.

The study shows that particulate matter, both PM10 and PM2.5, is responsible for 22,000 premature deaths among adults and 700 deaths among children every year.

According to the US Environment Protection Agency, “particulate matter” (PM), also known as particle pollution, is a complex mixture of extremely small particles and liquid droplets. It is made up of a number of components, including acids, organic chemicals, metals, and soil or dust particles. Once inhaled, these particles can affect the heart and lungs and cause serious health effects.

The study says the situation is getting bleaker because adequate support and regulatory measures are not in place.

Total costs associated with deaths and sickness caused by increased levels of particulate matter amount to Rs65 billion annually or approximately one per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

“The concentration of fine particulate matter is alarmingly high in all the cities of the country,” Pakistan Environment Protection Agency (Pepa) Director-General Asif Shuja Khan said, adding that mobile sources are responsible for it.

However, he disputed the number of casualties being caused by pollution.

According to the national economic survey released earlier this year, the levels of ambient particulates – smoke particles and dust, which cause respiratory disease – are generally twice the world average and more than five times as high as in industrial countries.

A study conducted by Pepa and the Japan International Cooperation Agency found that the average suspended particulate matter for the cities was 2,000 micrograms per cubic metres, while PM10 averaged 700 micrograms per cubic metres.

World Health Organisation guidelines’ limit for 24-hour monitoring of PM10 is set at 50 micrograms. Similarly, oxides of nitrogen also exceed WHO guidelines.

Three principal anthropogenic sources of air pollution are vehicular emissions, industrial pollution and the burning of municipal waste.

Mr Khan said vehicles were responsible for 45 per cent of environmental pollution.

The country’s vehicle fleet has been growing at an annual rate of almost 15 per cent -- with two-stroke rickshaws, motorcycles and diesel vehicles growing at a rapid rate.

It is estimated that there are some six million vehicles on the roads in the country, of which less than a million are on CNG, while most of the others use inferior quality fuels.

Industrial emissions are also an area of concern because of the use of ‘dirty fuel’ by several concerns.

“The burning of municipal solid waste is another significant source of pollution in the urban areas. Almost 48,000 tons of solid waste is generated each day, most of which is either dumped in low-lying areas or burnt. The burning of solid waste at low temperatures not only generates particulate matter but also produces other carcinogenic pollutants,” according to the study.

Wind speed, which is essential for flushing air pollution, is low in major cities. Similarly, because of dry and low wind days, natural dust and anthropogenic pollution take longer to disperse. Arid conditions result in clouds of fine dust that form a haze over many cities, compounded by dust storms in the summer.

The Asian Development Bank in its report on ‘Urban air quality management in Pakistan’ has suggested stopping import and manufacture of two-stroke vehicles, restriction of conversion of petrol-powered engines to diesel engines, better traffic management at high pollution spots and capacity building of motor vehicle examiners.