Air quality in Ecatepec de Morelos

Is Ecatepec de Morelos a very polluted city now?

Ecatepec, officially Ecatepec de Morelos, is a municipality in the State of Mexico. The municipal seat is San Cristóbal Ecatepec. It is the most densely populated suburb of Mexico City. A census was conducted in 2020 which estimated the population of Ecatepec to be approximately 1,645,352 people.

At the start of 2022, Ecatepec de Morelos was experiencing a period of “Moderate” air quality with a US AQI reading of 86. This United States Air Quality Index number is calculated using the levels of six of the most prolific 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 figure can still be calculated by using what figures there are. There were three pollutants that were measured in Ecatepec. These were PM2.5 - 28.6 µg/m³, PM10 - 65 µg/m³ and ozone (O₃) - 40 µg/m³.

This level of PM2.5 is in excess of being two and a half times over 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 considered to be safe.

When air pollution is from this “Moderate” bracket the given advice would be to remain indoors as much as possible, closing doors and windows to prevent the ingress of more polluted air. Those who are more sensitive to poor quality air should avoid venturing outside until it improves. If this is unavoidable, then a good quality face mask should be worn at all times. All types of outdoor exercise should be avoided until the air quality improves. There is a downloadable app from AirVisual.com which is suitable for all operating systems and gives the latest information regarding air quality in real-time.

Does the level of air pollution vary throughout the year in Ecatepec?

Air quality can be affected by many variables, therefore it is easy to see just how quickly it can change in a relatively short space of time. Looking back at the 2020 figures published by IQAir.com, it can be seen that for the entire year, Ecatepec’s air quality came from the “Moderate” category. Figures need to be between 12.1 and 35.4 µg/m³ to be classified as such. The cleanest month was August with a reading of 14.3 µg/m³, the dirtiest was January with a figure of 25.7 µg/m³.

Records for air cleanliness were first kept in 2020 when the annual average was 21.3 µg/m³. This figure was to be expected because it may have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic 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, albeit on a temporary basis. Worldwide, cities reported a much better quality of air due to the general lack of traffic pollution in city centres due to the pandemic.

Is there a main source of pollution in Ecatepec?

Due to the high concentrations of PM10 particles, the Megalopolis Environmental Commission (CAMe) activated Phase 1 of Regional Environmental Contingency in the Northeast Zone of the Valley of Mexico for several municipalities, including Ecatepec.

Ecatepec continually presents high levels of contamination due to the high concentration of unregulated transport, the main cause of poor air quality.

Its main economic activities are focused on industry (particularly in Xalostoc where many factories are located and, according to data from the last census, 531,572 cars circulate in this place; in addition to public works that do not stop despite contingencies as happens in the Bulevar Río de los Remedios On the other hand, between the Circuito Exterior Mexiquense and Avenida Central, pollution is observed from very early on where they dump a lot of waste in a clandestine way and the inhabitants there burn garbage, generating large amounts of pollutants.

Can anything be done to improve air quality in Ecatepec?

There is the ‘Hoy No Circula Program’ which restricts the movement of some vehicles within certain parts of the city. Although there are no additional vehicle restrictions, the CAMe recommended that children, pregnant women, people with respiratory problems and older adults reduce their exposure time and avoid outdoor activities.

The authorities will also have to tighten restrictions in the transport, industrial and service sectors. Construction materials transportation vehicles without covering canvas and / or spilling materials on the asphalt layer will be stopped, until the load is covered.

The fixed sources of the industry of federal and local jurisdiction that have combustion processes or activities that generate PM10 without emission control equipment will have to reduce their emissions between 30 per cent and 40 per cent due to the poor air quality recorded.

What are the detrimental effects of breathing in polluted air?

The main effects of air pollution on health range from alterations in lung function, heart problems and other symptoms and complaints to an increase in the number of deaths, hospital admissions and visits to the doctor, especially due to respiratory and cardiovascular causes.

Excess ozone in the air can have serious adverse effects on human health. It can cause breathing problems, cause asthma, reduce lung function, and lead to lung disease. It is currently one of the atmospheric pollutants of greatest concern in Europe. Various European studies have revealed that daily mortality and mortality from heart disease increase by 0.3% and 0.4% respectively with an increase of 10 µg/m³ in ozone concentration.

High levels of air pollution can cause attacks (exacerbations) in people with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Air pollution-related lung diseases increase the risk of heart and blood vessel disorders and can increase the risk of lung cancer. People who live in areas with high vehicle traffic are at particular risk.

Ozone, which is the main component of smog, is a strong lung irritant. Levels tend to be higher in summer, compared to other seasons, and relatively higher in the late morning and early afternoon, compared to other times of the day. Short-term exposures cause breathing difficulties, chest pain, and airway hyperresponsiveness. Children who do outdoor activities on days when ozone pollution is high are more likely to develop asthma. Long-term exposure to ozone causes a small permanent decrease in lung function.