Air quality in Minatitlan

What is the current level of air pollution in Minatitlan?

Minatitlán is a city in the south eastern Mexican state of Veracruz in the Olmec region of the state and north of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. According to a 2010 census, the city had an estimated population of approximately 356,000 people, but this figure took into account several of the adjoining smaller communities. It boasted the first oil refinery which was built in Latin America in 1906.

Towards the middle of 2021, Minatitlan was enjoying a period of “Good” quality air with a US AQI reading of just 25. This United States Air Quality Index number is an internationally used set of metrics supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and is used to compare different cities throughout the world using comparable standards. It is calculated by using the levels of the six most commonly found pollutants. If not all six are available, then the figure can still be calculated by using the information that is available. As far as Minatitlan was concerned, the only pollutant which was measured was PM2.5 which was 6.1 µg/m³. With a level as relatively low as this, the advice would be to open doors and windows to allow fresh air to circulate the home and all forms of outdoor exercise can be undertaken without fear.

Is the level of air pollution constant throughout the year in Minatitlan?

Air pollution can be very volatile and, as such, can change very quickly depending on many variables, such as wind speed and direction and the strength of sunlight, as well as the seasons of the year.

Looking back at the figures published by the Swiss air monitoring company IQAir.com for 2020 it can be seen that the worst month for air quality was during April when the level was “Unhealthy for sensitive groups” with a reading of 42 µg/m³. For the remaining eleven months of the year, the air quality was classified as being “Moderate” with figures between 12.1 and 35.4 µg/m³.

Records for air quality were first kept in 2019 when the annual average figure was 24 µg/m³, a slight improvement was noted in 2020 when that figure was 22.9 µg/m³. However, this may not be a truly accurate reading because of the restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many vehicles were no longer used as the drivers were furloughed and not required to commute to and from work. There were also many factories and other non-essential production units which were temporarily closed in an attempt to prevent the spread of the virus.

What is the main source of air pollution in Minatitlan?

The Minatitlán Refinery is an incessant source of contamination in the Veracruz isthmus.

The Minatitlán refinery, Veracruz, has the infrastructure to refine 285,000 barrels per day; however, as of June 2020, it was operating at 30.95 per cent of its capacity. The municipality where it is located is one of the three in the state where, markedly, the national average is exceeded in the rate of acute respiratory infection per 100,000 inhabitants. From the environmental point of view, it is an ecosystem of pipes and metal structures, under clouds of oil waste, in an area of 825 hectares. And in the air the characteristic smell of those chimneys where tons and tons of greenhouse gases come out in volumes, which have become monstrous for the inhabitants of that region.

In many countries, energy production is the main source of air pollution, although not the only one. The burning of coal by power plants or those plants based on diesel are two of the most frequent and harmful emission sources. In the same way, although to a lesser extent compared to the previous ones, industrial processes and the use of solvents in chemical industries contribute to air pollution and global warming.

Can anything be done to improve the air quality in Minatitlan?

Automobiles, in particular diesel cars, are the primary source for particulate pollution. Tyre particles, stirred up from the streets, also enter our lungs as we breathe. Nitrogen oxide (NOx) emitted from cars harms our respiratory systems, and may cause asthma. Diesel cars emit NOx - on average, even new models release six times as much NOx as gasoline engines.

Mexico City may be known for its smog, but it is also famous for its murals. These two factors have come together in a surprisingly innovative way. The Absolut Street Trees initiative consists of the creation of giant murals made with Airlite paint, which purifies polluted air in a process similar to that of photosynthesis. When paint is exposed to sunlight, the surrounding air becomes oxygenated through a chemical reaction. The creators of the project say the murals should neutralise the equivalent of pollution created by about 60,000 vehicles a year. The painting lasts approximately 10 years.

According to reports from the Ministry of Health, the state of Veracruz has an average incidence rate of acute respiratory infections of 17,318 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. This rate is lower than the national average of 22,846 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the indications of the Ministry of Health. Similarly, it occurs with asthma and asthmatic episodes in which the State has an incidence rate of 229 cases per 100,000 inhabitants compared to the national average of 280 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

The analysis of the incidence of cardiovascular diseases shows that, in the case of ischemic heart diseases, the state of Veracruz has an incidence rate of 62.29 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, slightly lower than the national average of 69.89 cases.

Minatitlán is one of the three municipalities in Veracruz where the national average is markedly higher in the rate of acute respiratory infection per 100,000 inhabitants. It is also one of the three municipalities with the highest incidence of acute respiratory infections.

What detrimental effects on human health does the air in Minatitlan have?

The main effects of air pollution on health range from alterations in lung function, heart problems and other symptoms and complaints to an increase in the number of deaths, hospital admissions and visits to the emergency room, especially due to respiratory and cardiovascular causes.

The effect of air pollution maintains a gradation both in the severity of its consequences and in the population at risk affected. Thus, as the effects are less severe, the percentage of the affected population is higher.