Air pollution is the second largest risk factor for death in the world, causing an estimated 8 million premature deaths in 2021 alone. In India, which plays home to an estimated 83 of the world’s 100 most polluted cities, the issue of air quality and its impacts is especially devastating.

Despite this, regulating agencies in India have struggled to develop tools and technologies that truly measure relevant properties of air pollutants and assess the health impacts they cause. An international workshop organized by professors at the University of Illinois and the Indian Institute of Technology in Gandhinagar sought solutions for this issue, bringing together top scholars & practitioners to discuss new ways of evaluating air pollution’s risks. The workshop took place on December 18-19, 2025.

“Air pollution in India is estimated to kill approximately 2 million people every year,” said Vishal Verma, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering in The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois. “The air quality index (AQI) in India remains above 500 in the winter months, which implies extremely hazardous air quality. This made India the perfect location, and December as the perfect time, to organize this workshop.”

Verma served as U of I’s coordinator for the workshop and worked closely with IIT Gandhinagar professors Sameer Patel and Subramanian Sankaranarayanan to arrange the event. This workshop, titled “Advances in Tools and Technologies to Quantify Health Impacts of Air Pollution”, was developed as the result of long-standing research collaboration between the two institutions and finally materialized after years of planning, thanks to the funding from India’s SPARC (Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration), launched by the country’s Ministry of Education. 

Verma served as U of I’s coordinator for the workshop and worked closely with IIT Gandhinagar professors Sameer Patel and Subramanian Sankaranarayanan to arrange the event. This workshop, titled “Advances in Tools and Technologies to Quantify Health Impacts of Air Pollution”, was developed as the result of long-standing research collaboration between the two institutions and finally materialized after years of planning, thanks to the funding from India’s SPARC (Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration), launched by the country’s Ministry of Education. 

Held on ITT Gandhinagar’s campus, the two-day event brought together about 100 professionals across a variety of disciplines. Their main goal was to address advances in air quality monitoring techniques and how these new technologies can be implemented to best serve the population. For example, while particulate matter (PM) mass has traditionally been used as the measuring stick for characterizing health impacts of air pollution, recent studies show that bulk PM may not actually be the best indicator. Seeking better ways to quantify health risks was one of the workshop’s top priorities.

Attendees included top doctors and medical professionals, epidemiologists, professors, students, and researchers from both academia and industry. The event featured several guest speakers, panel discussions following each lecture, poster sessions, and additional breakout opportunities to further discuss relevant issues.

Overall, the workshop successfully initiated critical conversations about the future of measuring air quality impacts in India, where the consequences of pollution are exceptionally dire. With targeted discussions meant to pay special attention to the context of India’s preexisting strategic policy in this area, Verma, Patel, and Sankaranarayanan hope to see immediate and tangible progress as a result of their international event & ongoing collaboration.

The workshop coordination team offers thanks to attendees, invited speakers, and student volunteers from Professor Patel’s research group at IIT Gandhinagar, without whom the event would not have been possible.