Airborne suspended particulate matter (SPM) is a serious worldwide concern since it is linked with
adverse health effects. Several epidemiological studies have been made across the world revealing
the association of SPM in air with acute and chronic respiratory disorders, lung cancer, morbidity
and mortality. Odds ratio estimated by several studies of the dose–response relationship for particulate
matter (PM)-associated respiratory sickness and premature mortality, increased with rise in
PM levels. Associations have been found with cardiovascular deaths, with myocardial infarctions
and ventricular fibrillation. PM is also associated with autonomic function of the heart, including
increased heart-rate, decreased heart-rate variability and increased cardiac arrythmias. Such
health disorders are widely seen in urban areas worldwide that suffer from serious air-quality
problems due to increasing population, combined with change in land use and vehicular traffic. In
India, haphazard urbanization, unprecedented vehicular emissions and inadequate infrastructure
development are supplementary factors for the fall in air-quality. Challenge for the future generation
in India lies in grappling the menace of air pollution-induced diseases, where already the public
health is in a worrying state with a variety of diseases. This article attempts a brief review of
atmospheric PM, its inhalation, deposition and toxicity, with experiences from the western countries
and the current Indian scenario.