Tijuana air quality map

How much valuable information about air quality is there on the air pollution map for Tijuana?

There is a lot of very interesting information about the current state of the air on the air pollution map for Tijuana and the link to it can easily be found on the main city page. This link takes the form of the air pollution map which, when selected, will open up a new page filled with all pertinent information about air quality.

When the link is chosen and the new page opens, the viewer will see a solid background colour which acts as a visual indication of the current air quality. Colours can vary between pale green and dark maroon. The full meaning of each colour is explained in the legend at the foot of the page. They are standard across the entire IQAir website. The colour of the map is currently green which shows that the air quality is “Good”.

The viewer will also see many coloured circles or discs distributed across the area. These represent the locations of the ground-level air monitoring stations that operate throughout the city and its environs. Some, however, may not be under the direct control of the city. At the centre of each disc is a number which is the United States Air Quality Index reading or US AQI for short. It is calculated by measuring the levels of up to six of the most commonly occurring pollutants found in the city air. They are usually both sizes of Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10), ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide.

This entire system is endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and its use is encouraged when making comparisons of air quality between different areas across the globe. Each station collects a wealth of information which can be accessed by selecting the appropriate one. This can be very useful when travelling around the city.

Looking back to the main city page, it can be seen in the coloured banner across the top of it that Tijuana was enjoying a period of “Good” quality air with a US AQI reading of 25. The green background of the banner also shows this. The main pollutant at that time was PM2.5 with a recorded level of 5.9 µg/m³) microns per cubic metre) which is slightly over the target figure of 5 µg/m³ as recommended by the WHO.

Immediately below the air pollution map for Tijuana can be seen the number of contributors there are who supply the data for the air quality calculations. In early April 2023, there were fifteen stations operated by fifteen contributors. Two of these are government departments and the other thirteen prefer to remain anonymous. One of the government departments is the Instituto Nacional de Ecologia y Cambio Climatico (INECC). Altogether they operate 113 stations across the country.

Is there any more fascinating material about air quality on the air pollution map for Tijuana?

There is a lot more extremely interesting information about air quality on the air pollution map for Tijuana but the page needs to be viewed at a maximum size for this to happen. The icon at the top of the opening page will reopen the required page in Full-screen mode so that no information is hidden.

Once the larger page has opened, there will be a list of four options on the left-hand side of the screen which can be individually turned on or off to see the effects they each have on the map.

The first option shows the sites of the ground-level air monitoring stations in and around the city. Each area can be explored further simply by choosing the disc of interest.

The next option shows the position of any wildfires there are that might be burning out of control in the area. At the time of writing in April 2023, there were no reports of any fires in the area. If fires are detected, then option number four needs to be studied because it shows the speed and direction of the wind and gives a good indication of where the drifting smoke may go.

The third option will change the background colour of the map to visually show the existing state of the air. When the air quality is “Good” the map will be a pale colour, but as the air quality worsens the colour will go darker and may become distracting. In this case, the option can be deactivated and the colours will revert to a more subdued hue.

Just below the air pollution map for Tijuana can be seen the ranking of the most polluted areas of the city according to the readings submitted by the monitoring stations. The most polluted area of the city currently is around the US Embassy in Tijuana where a level of 153 was recorded which is classified as being “Unhealthy”. The remaining stations follow in descending order.

The next list shows the stations in order of their popularity and the number of followers they each have. Currently, the most popular station is La Mesa with over 3,000 loyal followers.

Is the source of the polluted air identifiable on the air quality map for Tijuana?

Whilst the actual source of polluted air is not directly identifiable on the air quality map for Tijuana, it is well-known that air pollution is one of the major environmental problems, and is largely the result of human activities. The causes that originate this pollution are diverse, but the highest rate is caused by industrial, commercial, domestic and agricultural activities. It is estimated that the transport sector contributes half of the pollution, being an aggravating factor of this problem of unregulated cars of foreign origin.

Industrial activity is the second generator of combustion gases, especially those derived from manufacturing processes.

Particulate Matter is always quoted on the air pollution map for Tijuana, but what is it?

Particulate matter, or PM2.5, is very small airborne particles that are 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter. This is less than the thickness of a human hair. Particulate matter is a mixture that can include organic chemicals, dust, soot, and metals. These particles can come from cars, trucks, factories, wood burning, and other activities.

The effects that particles have on people's health have historically been associated with the exacerbation of respiratory diseases, such as bronchitis, and more recently their effects on cardiovascular diseases have also been analysed. The latest scientific research suggests that this type of pollution, and particularly particles from urban traffic, is associated with increases in morbidity and mortality in the exposed population and the increasing development of asthma and allergies among children.