What improved air quality? – The financial

After an afternoon with records of very poor air quality in Mexico City and the State of Mexico, the authorities determined not to activate phase 1 of the environmental contingency, as well as avoid the implementation of the double program Hoy No Circula for Tuesday, May 7.

The Environmental Commission of the Megalopolis said that at 4:00 p.m. this Monday, May 6, at the monitoring station of the Atmospheric Sciences Center (CCA), in Coyoacán, a concentration of contaminants of 156 parts per trillion (ppb) of ozone, which would have been enough to declare the environmental contingency; However, this concentration of contaminants “dropped rapidly.”

The reason why the pollution decreased was due to the gusts of wind and cloud cover, so the authorities decided not to activate the contingency, since the pollution rates are not expected to increase throughout the day. Additionally, weather conditions are expected to be similar this Tuesday.

The Valley of Mexico Zone recorded a very poor air quality this Monday afternoon May 6, according to evening Air Quality data from the Government of Mexico City. This occurs while There are high temperatures in the capital, with up to 33 degrees Celsius and double alert for heat.

The AIR AND HEALTH Index highlights that the measurement is very poor (red), with a very high risk level due to the ozone pollutant (O3).

At 3:00 p.m., the CDMX Air Quality Index marked 142 points at the Center for Atmosphere Sciences (CCA) station, in the south. While at 4:00 p.m., the indicator rose to 152 points.

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The areas most affected by the highest levels of poor air quality (red) this Monday were the UAM stations Xochimilco, CCA, Pedregal, Benito Juárez, Miguel Hidalgo and Camarones, according to the CAMe map. In the poor quality classification (orange color) are Ajusco Medio, Santiago Acahualtepec, Cuajimalpa, Hospital General de México, Nezahualcóyotl, FES Aragón, GAM, La Presa, San Agustín, Los Laureles, Villa de las Flores, Tultitlán, Atizapán, Tlalnepantla and FES Acatlán.

During the weekend, the Government of Mexico City activated Phase 1 of environmental contingency due to the high presence of ozone in the region. This was lifted the afternoon of Saturday, May 4. This phase is activated when the indicator is located above 155 points ppb (parts per billion) of a polluting agent.

Currently living the ozone season 2024, which began in mid-February and will last until June. It is known for being a dry and hot season.

The CAMe has indicated that contamination in the area occurs due to ozone gas, an irritant that can affect the respiratory system. The most susceptible population is children, older adults and people with respiratory or circulatory conditions.