According to Bolivia’s latest national air quality report, air quality in Cochabamba and Quiracolo, as well as in Tarija, Oruro and El Alto, reached Worrying levels, worrying the government.
“The ones that worry us the most are Cochabamba and Quiracolo, followed by Tarija, Oruro and El Alto. We have some clues as to what caused it, for example, our q’oas The customs seem a bit counter-productive. These actually lead to a decrease in air quality”, emphasizes Herrera in this regard.
The information comes on the occasion of the launch of the second national air quality monitoring network meeting – Red MoniCA, which will be held in the province of La Paz on August 21-22.
Herrera noted that one of the goals of the event is to develop proposals to improve air quality through the creation of regulations.
critical month
Herrera reported good air quality between 2019 and 2022; however, the cities of Cochabamba, Tarija, Oruro and El Alto were “worrying”.
The head of the undersecretary for the environment explained that air quality tends to drop between May and November due to various factors. Among them, pollution, smoke from fires, and polluting gases from industry and cars, especially in cities.
“It’s time to tell the city government that we have to tighten controls for the sake of human health,” said the deputy environment minister.
Top 5 in South America
Previous research by the World Health Organization (WHO) has shown that Cochabamba is one of the five cities with the highest air pollution rates in South America.
In addition to this, the report of the Air Quality Monitoring Network (Red MoniCA) of the Ministry of Environment and Water, Swisscontact and the Catholic University of Bolivia (UCB) is also characterized by: Raita The city with the highest air pollution rate in Bolivia.
2022 Government Report
According to the 2022 annual air quality report prepared by the Environmental Control and Inspection Management Department of the Cochabamba Government, the main pollutants in the atmosphere are suspended particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone and sulfur dioxide.
The report shows that the main pollutant in Cochabamba is particulate matter (PM10), solid or liquid particles suspended in the air that can enter and affect the lungs.
this Raita The months with the highest PM10 concentrations were June, September and December.
Effect
In the short term, the effects of air pollution include headaches, eye irritation, sore throats, skin irritations, pneumonia and bronchitis. Also, in the long run, respiratory, hepatic and cardiovascular diseases, as well as effects on the central nervous system and consequences during pregnancy.
“According to the Environmental Audit Report K2/AP06/Y13 of the Office of the State Comptroller General, the Cochabamba Valley is a particularly sensitive area to pollution because the topographical and climatic features of the urban sprawl increase the concentration of pollutants.”, read Snippet of the 2022 Departmental Report.
read more