Indians breathing air polluted to lethal levels

INDIA: Millions of Indians are breathing dangerously polluted air, a problem an environmental group says will intensify as the country's fast-growing economy expands.

Samples taken over the past two years from 12 locations around India showed levels of pollution - including cancer-causing chemicals - that were up to 32,000 times higher than those acceptable by pollution regulators in the United States, the Community Environment Monitoring group said in a report.

But regulators are doing little about pollution because no standards exist, said the study by the group based in the southern city of Madras. The study was released over the weekend. "Air pollution monitoring and regulation is primitive, and the world's fourth largest economy has no standards for some of the most toxic and commonly found air pollutants," the report said.

Although the study pointed to economic growth as the main reason behind worsening air pollution, if did not specify which industries were contributing to the problem.

The report said samples were collected at traffic junctions, landfills, open garbage incineration sites, copper smelters and effluent discharge channels.

If found 45 chemicals, including 13 carcinogens that target virtually every system in the human body.

New Delhi, Tuesday, AP