Author: Dr. Ananya Sharma
Ph.D. Environmental Science | Air Pollution & Urban Air Quality
I grew up in Delhi, which means I didn't need a textbook to understand what "hazardous AQI" feels like — I grew up breathing it. That's actually why I ended up doing my Ph.D. in environmental science, focused on urban particulate pollution. I've spent more mornings than I'd like to admit staring at PM2.5 graphs wondering why they spike at 7 AM (spoiler: it's usually traffic plus a stagnant inversion layer).
These days I write about the stuff I wish someone had explained to me simply years ago — what PM2.5 actually does to your lungs, why winters in North India turn apocalyptic, and how to read an AQI number without panicking or shrugging it off. I try to keep the science honest but readable. No fear-mongering, no false comfort — just what the data says and what you can actually do about it.