This article is taken from the Gobernanza del Aire website, one of the best sources to explain this complex subject, with a few extra videos added.
It is important to know the effects that contaminated air has on health, and because of its variability it is essential to review and know how to interpret the air quality measurement tools of the place where you live.
Let us all take care of the air quality of our city!
What are the main air pollutants?
The particles that float in the air, the smoke and the dust, cause serious air quality problems in many cities of the world. This particulate pollution, known as Particulate Matter (PM), occurs all year round and can cause a series of serious health problems.
Particulate matter (PM)
It is a mixture of solids and liquid droplets that float in the air. Some particles are released directly from a specific source, while others are formed through complex chemical reactions in the atmosphere.
Particles come in a wide range of sizes. To measure them we use the micrometre (µm), a unit of length equivalent to one millionth of a metre. Size is key to understanding how particles move through the air and how they affect health, which is why they are split into two groups.
Coarse particles (PM10)
Between 2.5 and 10 micrometres in diameter. They are basically produced by mechanical processes such as construction works, the resuspension of road dust, and the lifting of dust and wind by vehicles on the roads.
Fine particles (PM2.5)
2.5 micrometres in diameter or less, and only visible with an electron microscope. They are produced by every kind of combustion, including motor vehicles, power plants, residential wood burning, forest fires, agricultural burning, and some industrial processes.
What effects does air polluted by particulate matter have on health?
Older adults, children and people with heart or lung disease are more likely to be affected by exposure to particle pollution, especially when they exercise: exercise makes people breathe faster and deeper, and therefore take in more particles into their lungs.
Even if you are healthy, you can feel temporary symptoms if you are exposed to high levels of particle pollution. Numerous scientific studies link exposure to particle pollution to a variety of health problems.
Respiratory effects
Increase in illness and premature death caused by:
- Asthma
- Bronchitis (acute or chronic)
- Emphysema
- Pneumonia
Symptoms:
- Cough
- Phlegm
- Shortness of breath
- Tightness in the chest
- Wheezing
Cardiovascular effects
Increase in illness and premature death caused by:
- Chest pain
- Palpitations
- Shortness of breath
- Unusual fatigue
- Tightness in the chest
Where can I check the air quality in Bogotá?
As a citizen you can access several sources to know how polluted the air is in your city. It is important to have several windows of observation in order to: compare the figures, follow them over time, and make the right to clean air enforceable.
Bogotá’s Environment Secretariat
Through the Bogotá Air Quality Monitoring Network (RMCAB) the city collects information on the concentration of air pollutants. It has 13 fixed monitoring stations and one mobile station in different parts of the city, which allow continuous monitoring of particulate matter concentrations (PM10 and PM2.5).
Go to the application · Learn how to use it
AireCiudadano
Citizen science for air quality. Low-cost sensors, open data and community participation in Colombia. The live portal shows the current reading of every station in the network, and the data portal has the full history.