Health Impacts of Air Pollution in Bogota, Colombia

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In Colombia, outdoor air pollution is a real problem, causing about one in 20 of all deaths in the metropolitan areas of Bogota, Valle de Aburra, and Cali. But for rural dwellers the situation is much worse; household air pollution is responsible for an alarming 17% of all deaths.

Bogota is a highly industrialized city with many industries on its South side and winds coming from the South. Industries are not controlled and they pollute as much as they want. As corruption rules the city, there is no environmental control, and industries and public transportation are completely free to pollute. However, with all these topographical features lending a hand in keeping Bogota's air clean, the vehicles populating the roads often counteract these natural benefits with their dire exhaust fume output. There are large numbers of cars and trucks on the road, many with extremely outdated engines running on diesel fuel that would be spewing out higher amounts of pollution and noxious fumes, so much so to the point that areas that see high levels of traffic often have elevated buildups of pollutants that can leave pedestrians caught in the rear of an old truck inhaling large amounts of highly dangerous gases, chemical compounds, and fine particulate matter.

Besides the vehicles, other causes of pollution would include factories, including the numerous brick factories located in the far south, running on their own fossil fuels such as coal. These are the two main factors causing elevated levels of pollution, as well as highly detrimental ‘hotspots’ of traffic that can cause buildups of contaminated air, with disastrous effects on the health of anyone caught in these areas. With a large amount of its pollution coming from sources such as cars, lorries, and factories, they would mainly be based on the burning of fossil fuels. Vehicles, besides putting out PM2.5 and PM10, would release large amounts of gases such as nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide, with nitrogen dioxide being the most prominent emission from vehicles, so much so to the point that ground or satellite readings that pick up high levels of nitrogen dioxide will often correlate directly with a high concentration of traffic and thus vehicle fumes.

Other air contaminants would include black carbon and volatile organic compounds, both of which can be formed through the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels as well as organic matter (such as the burning of wood). The topography of Bogota is such that it is surrounded by mountains, which trap the pollutants within the city, leading to higher levels of pollution. Another significant contributor to air pollution in Bogota is the open burning of trash and other materials, which releases harmful particulate matter into the air.

This can lead to earlier death rates, as well as cause many problems within the younger portion of the population due to their lungs not being able to take in enough oxygen, leading to developmental issues, both cognitive and physical. Reproductive health can also be affected, with lower fertility rates amongst those exposed to prolonged bouts of pollution. Pregnant mothers are particularly vulnerable, with exposure leading to increased rates of miscarriage, premature birth as well as babies being delivered with low birth weight, adding to infant mortality rates.

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