New Delhi named world's most polluted city
theweathernetwork.com
Friday, January 31, 2014, 7:16 PM -
China had made headlines recently due to excessive air pollution, prompting government officials to take measures to cut smog levels.
Still, the most polluted city in the world isn't found in China -- but rather, in India.
A recent article on CNN says that at its worst this winter, New Delhi's air pollution was 60 times higher than safe levels, according to research from India's Center for Science and Environment.
AIR QUALITY REPORT: See how the air quality measures up in your city
Between November and January, New Delhi's air pollution averaged 575 micograms per cubic metre of toxic air particulates.
During the same time frame, Beijing, China had a concentration of 400 micrograms.
Levels higher than 300 micrograms are considered "hazardous", and the World Health Organization recommends a maximum daily exposure of 20 micrograms.
In October, the health agency officially declared air pollution to be a carcinogen.
It's estimated that air pollution led to more than 220,000 lung cancer deaths globally in 2010 alone.
