Elderly at risk of fragility due to air pollution: Physiotherapists

The industrial city of Durgapur hosts a significantly higher proportion of elderly residents than the Bengal average, and many are increasingly vulnerable to fragility caused by declining bone mineral density, senior physiotherapists have warned ahead of World Physiotherapy Day.

This year’s observance, scheduled for tomorrow, centres on the theme of Healthy Ageing.

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While Bengal’s elderly population was estimated at 11.3 per cent in 2021, Durgapur’s stood at 14.1 per cent. The rise is largely attributed to the development of new residential pockets catering to retired factory workers and executives.

Orthopaedic surgeons such as Dr Priyank Sahoo of the Steel Authority of India’s Main Hospital and Dr Bikash Mondal, a local practitioner, cited escalating air pollution in Durgapur and its suburbs as a key factor. “Long-term exposure to air pollution is strongly linked to reduced bone mineral density (BMD), which proportionately increases the risk of fractures and gradually leads to osteoporosis,” they explained.

Durgapur is home to several high-emission industrial units, including steel plants, coke ovens, sponge iron facilities and thermal power stations. These are frequently blamed for the city’s ‘uncontrolled’ levels of air pollution. The harmful particulate matter PM2.5, which enters the body through inhalation, is known to adversely affect bone density.

Tapan Baidyakar, veteran physiotherapist and president of the Physiotherapy Association of Durgapur, said: “It is mostly the elderly who fall victim to this menace. Urgent action is needed to curb air pollution.”

In November last year, Durgapur’s air pollution levels surpassed those of Delhi. While Delhi recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 396, Durgapur peaked at 425.

In response to the growing concern over fragility among senior citizens, the association conducted bone mineral density and vibration perception tests today at the Non-Company Recreation Club in the City Centre.