An Indian government scientist said Friday that air quality in New Delhi has worsened this week and is now "very poor," although it should not be compared to China's capital, which has been reeling under serious air pollution, according to AP. Gurfan Baig of the state-run Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology said that levels of tiny particulates known as PM 2.5, which can penetrate deep into the lungs, had reached 250 micrograms per cubic meter in areas in and around the Indian capital. That is more than 10 times higher than World Health Organization safety levels over a 24-hour period. Although the level is threatening to health, it is still much better than in Beijing recently, where levels of PM 2.5 have been hovering around 500. -- SPA
