ArdorComm Media News Network
October 29, 2025
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that heavy metals such as copper, zinc, chromium, and molybdenum have been detected in the air of ten Indian cities, including Delhi, where they constitute between 0.1% and 2.1% of the total PM10 concentration. The other cities included in the study are Jaipur, Bhopal, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam, and Chennai.
For Delhi, the CPCB collected air samples from Pitampura, Siri Fort, Janakpuri, and Shahdara during June and July 2025. The analysis followed an NGT directive from last year, which took suo motu cognisance of a Times of India report highlighting the presence of heavy metals in PM2.5 particles in East Delhi’s air.
According to CPCB’s findings, these metals are typically bound to airborne particulate matter, meaning that reducing PM concentrations would likely lower their levels as well. During the monitoring period, Delhi’s average PM10 concentration was recorded at 130 µg/m³, with copper at 55.13 ng/m³, chromium at 12.25 ng/m³, molybdenum at 0.91 ng/m³, and zinc at 243.5 ng/m³.
Previous studies have shown that chromium, copper, zinc, molybdenum, and lead are among the most common heavy metals present in PM2.5 in Delhi and other cities. The Heavy Metal Exposure Index (HEI) developed by researchers showed that East Delhi had one of the highest toxicity loads before the COVID-19 lockdown, later surpassed by Ludhiana. Areas such as Mayur Vihar, Dilshad Garden, and Laxmi Nagar were found to have significant levels.
Lead researcher Kanhaiya Lal noted that India lacks national ambient air quality standards for several heavy metals, unlike countries such as Canada, which have established benchmarks. He also warned that airborne heavy metals pose serious health risks due to their toxic nature.
The CPCB reiterated that under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) — launched in 2019 by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change — India aims to achieve up to a 40% reduction in PM10 levels or meet the national standard of 60 µg/m³ by 2025–26, using 2017–18 as the baseline year.
Source: TNN