Portal de Lorca
www.portaldelorca.com
Ecologists in Action has filed separate complaints with the city of Lorca and the Ministry of Agriculture and Water by ozone pollution episodes occurred during the month of May in the town of Lorca, as stated by the official data from the Ministry itself [ 1]
In its brief, environmentalists insist that the situation of Lorca, which can be considered worrying attending only to the values ​​of the current legislation, it is quite serious when taking into account the limit values ​​set by the World Health Organization, which reflect the real condition of the pollutant on public health.
In this sense, Lorca in May exceeded up to 8 times the daily limit value for ozone legally established in the Spanish legislation.
This legal value is 120 micrograms per cubic meter (as maximum daily eight-hour mean) limit which, moreover, should not be exceeded more than 25 times per calendar year.
But using the WHO criteria, every day of the month of May have occurred exceedances of ozone limit values ​​for the protection of health in the town of Lorca.
The World Health Organization (WHO) [2] has lowered the ozone target value for the protection of human health, from 120 to 100 micrograms per cubic meter.
Therefore, Ecologists in Action criticizes the slowness of the development of a Plan to Improve Air Quality, which must include measures to reduce pollution by ozone and other pollutants, but which is already a delay of almost three years in the making .
They see also paradoxical that the application period will be scheduled for the 2015-2018 plan, when it is still unapproved and under public information and submitting comments.
On the other hand, the environmental organization predicts that in the coming summer months, ozone pollution in the town of Lorca will worsen due to the usual dynamics of this pollutant.
For Ecologists in Action is needed coordinated action between local and regional authorities acting on ozone precursor pollutants: nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions from vehicles and industry, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by vehicles, solvents and industry.
How pollution by ozone (O3) occurs?
The ground-level ozone (tropospheric ozone) is a complex pollutant.
It is formed by the reaction (photochemical) with sunlight of pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) from vehicle emissions and industry and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by vehicles, solvents and industry.
What is the effect on health ozone pollution?
The effects on public health of ozone are varied: Irritation of the respiratory tract and throat, coughing, reduced respiratory function of the lungs.
Also bronchopulmonary diseases and aggravation of asthma.
Ozone makes it more sensitive to allergy sufferers.
Some groups of people are particularly sensitive to ozone pollution: Children who spend most of their time outdoors are more active and their airways are not fully developed, adults doing strenuous exercise outdoors (cycling, running, ), people who perform jobs that require physical exertion.
[1] Maximum values ​​daily at stations measuring air quality in the region of Murcia Eight hours.
MAY 2015.
[2] WHO air quality guidelines of WHO for particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide.
Global update 2005 Summary of risk assessment: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2006/WHO_SDE_PHE_OEH_06.02_spa.pdf
Source: Ecologistas en Acción
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