Benzene in Delhi air is 100 times over the limit

The benzene levels are so high that one is tempted to take it with a pinch of salt. But the fact is that a multinational testing laboratory SGS India Limited hired by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has stuck its neck out to certify these results even after repeated meetings with the DPCC.

benzene is a known carcinogenic (cancer-forming compound) and is known to be rapidly absorbed in the skin in both liquid and vapour phases. “It is among the most carcinogenic substances in air. Because it is a very unstable organic chemical, it binds with the human cell, interfering with its normal proliferation. The effects might show after 10 years,” said Dr A.K. Atri, environmental scientist at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

There is no safe level for air-borne benzene. India is yet to notify its standards for benzene levels but the international standards are as low as 30 mg per cubic metre.

According to the SGS study, at Hindu Rao hospital, benzene levels are as much as 1,762.63 mg per cubic metre and in Greater Kailash-I 4,140.36 mg per cubic metre. High concentrations were found in the ridge area and low-lying areas because of tendency of benzene to move and accumulate in the cooler areas. The study was conducted from March to June, 1999.

In fact, the results are so startling that DPCC did not know whether to make it public. They have marked it confidential’ and have kept it with themselves for the last five months.

“We are now going to send it to the Minister and also initiate dialogue with oil companies to reduce the benzene content in the petrol that is supplied to Delhi,” said Rajiv Talwar, secretary, department of environment, Delhi government.

The reasons behind this increase could be because of emission from motor vehicles, burning coal and oil, evaporation from petrol pumps and industrial solvents. One main suspect in this case is the high benzene content in the petrol that is supplied from the refineries.

“In India, the benzene content (in unleaded petrol) is 5 per cent as compared to 1 per cent in UK and the US,” said Dilip Biswas, chairman Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Lead is, however, known to be more harmful than benzene, and it was important to get rid of it first.

Negotiations are on between the Environment Protection Control Authority (EPCA) and the Ministry of Petroleum to reduce the benzene content in the petrol. Recently, two refineries, IOCL Vadodara and Reliance have agreed to supply low-benzene petrol, but exact logistics of how Delhi is supposed to buy it is yet to be ascertained. According to officials, the cost of converting refineries to produce such petrol for the entire country would mean an expenditure of Rs 130,000 crore.

Reasons why things moved slowly was because of lack of data. It was only when doubts were raised on the safety of unleaded petrol by NGOs like Centre for Science and Environment, that Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) started monitoring it. Since they did not have the know-how, they took the help of private agencies like Steel Authority of India Limited and Hindustan Organics, and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board. The NGOs asked how the policy-makers could arrive at a decision on unleaded petrol with the given benzene content since there was no facility to monitor benzene.

The only published study was done two years ago by a Netherlands-based researcher M.P. Kueken, who had found the levels at Connaught Place 10-12 times higher than European countries.

As the CPCB has not really established the methodology of testing benzene, it does not readily part with the data. “Initially when we monitored it, it was very high. Then we realised that the methodology was wrong. Now in the locations we have monitored, the results are in hundreds and not in thousands,” said Dilip Biswas, chairman CPCB.

According to him, these results have to be verified further.

“Even if these results are doubtful, the authorities should have been spurred into action and told the public what the situation is,” said Sunita Narain of the Centre for Science and Environment.