Air quality in Iztacalco

What is the current level of air pollution in Iztacalco?

Iztacalco is one of the 16 boroughs of Mexico City. It is located in the central-eastern area and it is the smallest of the city's boroughs. According to a census that was conducted last year, Iztacalco had an estimated population of approximately 405,000 residents.

Towards the end of 2021, Iztacalco was experiencing a period of “Moderate” air quality with a US AQI reading of 80. This United States Air Quality Index number is calculated using the levels of six of the most commonly occurring air pollutants, such as nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide and both sizes of particulate matter, which are PM2.5 and PM10. It can then be used as the metric when comparing air quality in other cities around the world. If data is unavailable for all 6 pollutants, a level can still be calculated by using what figures there are. In Iztacalco both sizes of the PM pollutant were recorded. These were; PM2.5 - 26 µg/m³ and PM10 - 50 µg/m³.

This level of PM2.5 is just over two and a half times the recommended safe level of 10 µg/m³ as suggested by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as being an acceptable level. Although no amount of air pollution is safe.

With air pollution at this “Moderate” level, the proffered advice is to stay indoors and close all doors and windows to prevent the ingress of more dirty air. Those of a sensitive disposition should limit their time spent outside and should always wear a good quality face mask when venturing outdoors. For up-to-date information about air quality, there is an app available from AirVisual which is downloadable for all mobile devices and is available from the online store.

Does the level of pollution stay the same throughout the year in Iztacalco?

Air quality is very volatile as it is subject to many external influencing factors such as meteorological and atmospheric changes.

However, looking back at the figures released by IQAir for 2020, the entire year returned figures from the WHO Target category which need to be less than 10 µg/m³ to qualify as such. The best month was September which returned a figure of 5.7 µg/m³. The worst being May with a reading of 9.7 µg/m.

Records pertaining to air pollution were first kept in 2019 when the WHO target figure was once again achieved. The recorded figure was 6.4 µg/m³. Last year the figure rose slightly to 7.0 µg/m³, however, this reading may have been affected by the COVID-19 situation as many vehicles were no longer in daily use because the offices were closed, in an attempt to halt the spread of the virus. Many factories and non-essential production units were also required to close which removed their emissions from the atmosphere.

Is there a main source of air pollution in Iztacalco?

Automobiles represent a major source of air pollution. The automotive fleet includes a large and active group of vehicles propelled by the combustion of hydrocarbons (mopeds, cars and trucks). Vehicles are the main cause of poor air quality, since they produce between 53 and 56 per cent of suspended particles.

The emissions from the exhausts of these vehicles contain carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides that are released into the atmosphere in significant quantities; they are the components of "photochemical oxidizing smog". For this reason, the most populated urban areas are those that suffer the most pollution of this type.

What can be done to reduce air pollution in Iztacalco?

Vehicles are one of the major sources of pollutants from the air in Mexico City so the Ministry of Environment has two programs to ensure that vehicles circulating in the City of Mexico tend to lower emission of pollutants. These programs are "vehicle verification" and "today does not circulate."

Coupled with increasing congestion, the average age of the fleet is over twelve years old. This is relevant since, given the accelerated pace of technological advances, newer model vehicles with state-of-the-art equipment and controls are generating fewer and fewer emissions. A vehicle over 20 years old can pollute up to 20 times more than one with state-of-the-art technology, regardless of maintenance. This differentiation between the emissions of new vehicles versus old ones is valid in general, although it does not always apply in Mexico, since there are recent model vehicles on the market with obsolete and highly polluting technologies, which are marketed to access segments of the middle-income population.

The most relevant measure to combat air pollution include the following;

• Regulate intra- and inter-urban freight transport with regard to permitted weights and dimensions, access and circulation routes and schedules, and physical-mechanical inspection and emission verification processes.
• Promote territorial development policies, to contain the expansion of the urban area, promoting densification, mixed land uses and rescue of public space and green areas.
• Combat corruption and ensure that vehicle verification centres comply with current regulations, as well as update the maximum permissible limits for pollutant emissions and fuel quality contained in official Mexican standards.
• Encourage the penetration of cleaner and more efficient vehicle technologies, for example electric and hybrid cars, buses and trucks.

What are the health impacts of breathing dirty air in Iztacalco?

PM2.5 particles can settle in the lungs and even enter the bloodstream, causing cerebrovascular disease, heart disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive lung disease, asthma, or respiratory infections such as pneumonia.

Smog is the general term used to describe a variety of air pollutants, including ground-level ozone (the main ingredient in smog), particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides. The term refers to air pollution that forms when gases from many sources are released into the air and chemically react with each other in sunlight.

The ocean breeze carries smog inland toward the mountains, where an inversion layer of warm air pushes it downward, trapping the smog close to the ground where we live and breathe.

Particulate matter (PM) is the term used for a mixture of solid and liquid particles found in the air. It originates from a variety of sources including automobiles, power plants, construction activities, soil dust, soot, and industrial processes. Coarse particulates (PM10) are generally emitted from sources such as wind-blown dust, vehicles travelling on unpaved roads, and crushing and grinding operations. Fine particles (PM2.5) can come from the combustion of fuels (cars, power generation, industrial plants) and fugitive dust. Fine particles are formed mainly in the atmosphere from gases such as sulphur oxides, NOx, and VOCs.