Travelling On Pune-Mumbai Expressway Can Give You Cancer? Here's What IIT Bombay Report Says

While various research reports have identified multiple carcinogenic agents and outlined several causes of cancer, a recent study by the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) has raised fresh concerns.

The report highlights that smoke and pollution emitted by vehicles on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway—one of western India's busiest routes—contain dangerously high levels of cancer-causing pollutants.

This serious matter has come to light in a study by IIT-B. The Times of India has reported about this.

The research published in Nature's Clean Air journal this month has highlighted the urgent need for strict emission controls and a rapid shift to cleaner fuels.

The study conducted in the Kamshet tunnel on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway measured polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These are dangerous compounds released when fuel burns, which are associated with serious health problems, including cancer. These compounds are mainly associated with diesel vehicles.

Almost 99 per cent of the cancer risk was due to just seven specific PAHs, which have been classified as carcinogenic by the WHO's Agency for Research on Cancer. These harmful compounds were found in air samples at the tunnel site.

What are PAHs?
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of chemical compounds that are formed during the incomplete burning of organic substances such as coal, oil, gas, wood, or food. Among these, 13 PAH compounds have been identified as genotoxic and clearly carcinogenic in animal studies.

Lakhs of vehicles ply through the Kamshet tunnel every day on the Expressway. The air here is filled with very fine but dangerous PAHs. Research by IIT Bombay has revealed that the amount of PAHs found in the air at the Kamshet tunnel is 13 times higher than the national limit.

These pollutants can damage not only the lungs but also various organs in the body. According to this study, just seven PAH compounds together are causing 99 per cent of the total cancer risk.

Apart from the health risks, the researchers found that the emissions from these significantly increase the impact on climate change. The study was led by researchers from IIT-B in collaboration with Professor Pradhi Rajeev of IIT Patna and Professor Tarun Gupta of IIT Kanpur.