Air quality in Nezahualcoyotl

Is Nezahualcóyotl currently suffering from air pollution?

Nezahualcóyotl, or more commonly Neza, is a city and municipal seat of the municipality of Nezahualcóyotl in Mexico. According to a census conducted in 2010, Nezahualcóyotl had an estimated population of approximately 1.1 million residents.

Towards the end of 2021, Nezahualcóyotl was enjoying a period of “Good” quality air with a US AQI reading of 49. 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. In Nezahualcóyotl two pollutants were measured which were; PM2.5 - 11.8 µg/m³ and ozone (O₃) - 104 µg/m³.

This level of PM2.5 is just 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 the level of air pollution is classed as “Good” you are encouraged to open all doors and windows to allow a stream of fresh air into the house. And all types of physical outdoor exercise can be enjoyed without worry.

For up-to-date information about air quality, there is an app available from AirVisual.com which is downloadable for all mobile devices. This shows the air quality in real-time.

Does the level of air pollution remain the same throughout the year in Nezahualcóyotl?

Air quality can be very volatile as it can easily be affected by so many variables. Looking back at the figures for 2020, published by IQAir.com, it can be seen that the month with the best air quality was during September when the reading was 10.4 µg/m³ which can be classified as being “Good”. Readings between 10.1 and 12 µg/m³ are classified as such. From January until the end of August, the figures came from the “Moderate” category with figures between 12.1 and 35.4 µg/m³. The month with the best quality was August with a 13.3 µg/m³ reading. The worst was April with a 31.8 µg/m³. For some reason, figures were not available for October, November and December.

Records for air pollution were first held in 2020 when a figure of 22.9 µg/m³ was recorded. However, this may not be a true indication of reality because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many vehicles were no longer in daily use because offices were closed and staff were no longer encouraged to commute on a daily basis, 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 it on a temporary basis.

Is there a main source of air pollution in Nezahualcóyotl?

A haze hangs over the city most days, obscuring the surrounding snow-capped mountains and endangering the health of its inhabitants. Many factors have contributed to this situation: industrial growth, a population boom (from three million in 1950 to some 20 million today), and the proliferation of vehicles. More than 3.5 million vehicles — 30 per cent of them more than 20 years old — now ply the city streets.

Located in the crater of an extinct volcano, Mexico City is about 2,240 metres above sea level. The lower atmospheric oxygen levels at this altitude cause incomplete fuel combustion in engines and higher emissions of carbon monoxide and other compounds. Intense sunlight turns these into higher than normal smog levels. In turn, the smog prevents the sun from heating the atmosphere enough to penetrate the inversion layer blanketing the city.

Historically, the main air pollution problem in both developed and rapidly industrialising countries has typically been high levels of smoke and sulphur dioxide emitted following the combustion of sulphur-containing fossil fuels such as coal, used for domestic and industrial purposes. These days, the major threat to clean air is now posed by traffic emissions. Petrol and diesel-engine motor vehicles emit a wide variety of pollutants, principally carbon monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter (PM10), which have an increasing impact on urban air quality. In addition, pollutants from these sources may not only prove a problem in the immediate vicinity of these sources, but can be transported long distances.

What can be done to improve air quality in Nezahualcóyotl?

In the 1990s, for instance, the government introduced air quality improvement programs that include a rotating one-weekday ban on private car use. On days of high pollution, the ban extends to every second day and some manufacturing activities are curtailed. In addition, car owners must have their vehicles certified every six months.

Authorities of the Mexican municipality in coordination with the Secretariat of the Environment of the State of Mexico launched an operation to stop polluting vehicles, those that do not have a traffic hologram or that circulate despite restrictions.

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

The researchers focused on health hazards posed by the most serious pollutants: PM10 and ozone. PM10 comes from various sources, including road construction and dust, diesel trucks and buses, forest fires, and the open-air burning of refuse. Both pollutants can irritate eyes, cause or aggravate respiratory and cardiovascular ailments, and lead to premature death.

Many residents experience some type of air pollution-related symptoms, such as watery eyes, coughing, or noises when breathing. Even for healthy people, polluted air can cause irritation or breathing difficulties during exercise or outdoor activities. Your actual risk depends on your current health status, the type and concentration of the pollutant, and the length of time you have been exposed to the polluted air.

People who are most likely to suffer serious health problems from air pollution are:

• People with heart or lung disease
• People with breathing problems such as asthma or emphysema
• Pregnant women
• People working outdoors
• Children under the age of 14, whose lungs are still developing
• Elderly residents whose immune systems are weaker
• Athletes exercising energetically outdoors.