Last year, the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara had more days of atmospheric pollution at a high level than Mexico City (CDMX). In the Jalisco city, 16 days were recorded with very poor air quality; that is, with more than 150 points of the Metropolitan Index of Air Quality ( Imeca ), while in CDMX only four days met this criterion.
Sebastián Gradilla, director of Protection and Environmental Management of the Ministry of Environment and Territorial Development (Semadet), explains that the measurement of the Imeca between both cities is comparable because the same methodology is used for its calculation, which is the reflection of two pollutants Criterion: particles smaller than 10 microns (PM10) and ozone. “In the ozone issue of the Metropolitan Valley of Mexico City, there are higher concentrations. In 2016, they had a higher concentration than Guadalajara, in the hot season.” However, he stressed that when reviewing the data of PM10 annual concentrations of particles, Guadalajara appears in the first places at the national level, above the capital of the country.
“We have more days with more poor air quality because we have the area of Las Pintas, with particular characteristics, that propitiate PM10 particles. Maybe this is not reflected so much in Mexico City. ”
The head of the Ministry of Environment, Sergio Humberto Graf, said that in the coming days, they will present the strategy to improve air quality in the city.
Meanwhile, in the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara, 84 environmental emergencies were registered in 2018, 24 more than the previous year.
