Bryan Johnson, a tech entrepreneur and self-proclaimed “biohacker” who claims to be trying to reverse the aging process, recently highlighted the massive levels of air pollution on his visit to India. He went so far as to walk out of a podcast with Nikhil Kamath, which was being held in a prominent 5-star hotel in New Delhi, despite wearing an N95 mask and having his own air purifier in the room.
India’s Pollution Woes
In a post on X (Twitter), he also described how the air pollution had made his “skin break out in rash” and resulted in “eyes and throat burn” on the third day of his stay in India. He said he was shocked by how people normalize air pollution, saying, “People would be running outside.” Young children and babies are exposed from birth. No masks are worn, which can greatly reduce exposure.
Johnson opened Nikhil Kamath’s eyes on this too, as the Zerodha Co-Founder took to X as well, saying, “The biggest takeaway for me after meeting Bryan Johnson was debunking the myth I once believed: that only Delhi in India has an air quality problem—and that it occurs only in winter.
We recorded the WTF podcast in a sea-facing apartment in Bandra, Mumbai, and the AQI was a whopping 160+. If the AQI was this high in Bandra, just imagine the levels in the more crowded parts of the town. Later, I got an AQI meter for our office in J.P. Nagar—a quiet corner of Bengaluru—and was shocked to see it reading 120+. Again, imagine how much worse it might be in the busier parts of the city. What makes matters trickier in Bengaluru is the dust from the ongoing construction boom and poor roads.”
The Human Cost of Pollution
The tech CEO, known for his “Project Blueprint” anti-aging attempt, which included plasma transfusions, brought attention to a study showing that air pollution might cause blood fat abnormalities, liver inflammation, fibrosis, and gene dysregulation, which can be linked to cancer. The average life expectancy in India may be raised by addressing air quality problems, stressing that there is no safe degree of exposure to air pollution.
He also suggested a few actions to reduce exposure to pollution, such as:
1. Tracking the levels of PM2.5.
2. Putting on N95 masks in contaminated areas.
3. Raising the filtration level of residential HVAC systems.
4. Using HEPA filters in vehicles and at home, especially in places with heavy traffic.
He also posted a video showing how to utilize portable air purifiers and other safety measures he took while in Mumbai.
Johnson, a prolific presence on X, took to the platform later to expand on his thoughts, and his words are the perfect note to end this story on. “Air pollution has been so normalized in India that no one even notices anymore, despite the science of its negative effects being well known. People would be outside running. Babies and small children are exposed from birth. No one wore a mask, which can significantly decrease exposure. It was so confusing. The evidence shows that India would improve the health of its population more by cleaning up air quality than by curing all cancers. I am unsure why India’s leaders do not make air quality a national emergency. I don’t know what interests, money and power keep things the way they are, but it’s really bad for the entire country.”
