acrid

The acrid smoke wafting from burning waste in her neighbourhood in Nigeria's biggest city, Lagos, made it hard to breathe.

At the Chhath festivities too, firecrackers lit up the sky, leaving the air acrid with the smell of burnt sulphur.

New Delhi and its sprawling metropolitan region of 30 million people are regularly ranked among the world's most polluted capitals, with acrid smog blanketing the skyline each winter.

In recent years, complaints of acrid odors, fiery accidents, soot and harmful emissions gained new resonance as public officials became more sensitive to accusations of environmental damage.

New Delhi and its sprawling metropolitan region -- home to more than 30 million people -- are regularly ranked among the world's most polluted capitals, with acrid smog blanketing the skyline each winter.