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During the months of June, July, August and September 2010 there has been a significant deterioration of air quality in the town of Lorca by the increase of the pollutant ozone.

The figures of the measuring stations of the regional network show the significant problem of tropospheric ozone pollution.

A) The regional network to monitor air quality, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Water is the metering station in the municipality of Lorca data can be seen by accessing the website on air quality from the Ministry

http://www.carm.es/cmaot/calidadaire/portal/

B) The ground-level ozone (tropospheric ozone) is formed by reaction (photochemical) with the sunlight of pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions from vehicles and industry and volatile organic compounds ( VOCs) emitted by vehicles and industrial solvents.

The highest ozone levels are recorded during periods of sunshine, especially in summer.

C) Legislation on the pollutant ozone, establishes several parameters:

1) Target value for the protection of human health: 120 micrograms per cubic meter for 8 hours a day (eight hour), not to be exceeded more than 25 days per calendar year from 2010.

2) Information threshold: 180 micrograms per cubic meter on average in an hour.

3) Alert threshold: 240 micrograms per cubic meter on average in an hour.

D) The data validated the website of the Ministry of Agriculture and Water on air quality, point out that there have been 71 days of exceedances of the target value for the protection of human health (120 micrograms per cubic meter) during June, July and August in the town of Lorca.

Lorca metering station

JUNE

18 days of exceedances of the target value for the protection of human health

JULY

23 days of exceedances

AUGUST

19 days of exceedances

SEPTEMBER

11 days of exceedances

TOTAL

71 days of exceedances

Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Water

http://www.carm.es/cmaot/calidadaire/portal/datosonline/datosonlinepaso3.jsp; jsessionid = FAA38D0DF0A1C7F0EA6B5E32A9EE0C38

D) The World Health Organization (WHO) since 2005, has lowered the value objective of protecting human health from 120 to 100 micrograms per cubic meter.

Thus, using the WHO criteria would increase much more the days of exceedances of the objective values for health protection in the town of Lorca.

..

E) The public health effects of ozone are varied: Irritation of the airways and throat, coughing and chest discomfort.

Reduced lung function in the lungs.

Worsening of conditions such as asthma and bronchopulmonary diseases such as emphysema, lung disease, pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchitis, etc.

Ozone also exacerbates and makes people more susceptible to allergic

Some groups of people are particularly sensitive to ozone pollution: Children who spend most time outdoors are more active and their airways are not fully developed adults who do strenuous exercise outdoors (biking, walking, ), people who perform jobs that require physical effort (which makes them faster and deeper breathing, increasing the amount of ozone flowing into the lungs) and, finally, people with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases

F) are required coordinated action among local and regional government to act on ozone precursor pollutants: nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions from vehicles and industry and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by vehicles solvents and industry in the context of the development of a Plan to Improve Air Quality with measures also on road traffic emissions in a Sustainable Mobility Plan in coordination with the regional administration.

Source: Ecologistas en Acción