Pollution in Mexico by Chandler Harness

Pollution in Mexico by Chandler Harness https://padlet.com/cha23237/jc7lcojbz6c1 🌳🌹🏫🌳🏢🏢_🏢🏢🌳🌳 en-us 2018-03-08 13:49:13 UTC 2018-03-09 14:01:20 UTC hello@padlet.com cha23237 https://padlet.com/cha23237/jc7lcojbz6c1/wish/239646976 Mexico City is one of the largest cities in the world with a population close to twenty million people. The majority of the population is exposed daily to fumes produced by 3.6 million vehicles. This, of course, means that many roads throughout Mexico City are highly congested.]]> 2018-03-08 14:03:48 UTC https://padlet.com/cha23237/jc7lcojbz6c1/wish/239646976 cha23237 https://padlet.com/cha23237/jc7lcojbz6c1/wish/239650262 In addition to this, many vehicle owners fill up their vehicles with poor quality fuel.
These vehicle fumes coupled with other air pollution sources are responsible for many residents suffering from severe respiratory health problems.]]> 2018-03-08 14:09:18 UTC https://padlet.com/cha23237/jc7lcojbz6c1/wish/239650262 cha23237 https://padlet.com/cha23237/jc7lcojbz6c1/wish/239651334 it has been known for many years that the air pollution in Mexico City is much worse than that found in similar sized cities in other developing nation]]> 2018-03-08 14:11:07 UTC https://padlet.com/cha23237/jc7lcojbz6c1/wish/239651334 cha23237 https://padlet.com/cha23237/jc7lcojbz6c1/wish/239652726 Mexico City is situated in a valley surrounded by mountains on three sides. The city is situated at 2,240 metres above sea level, and because there's less oxygen at this altitude, most of the air pollution is the result of incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons, mainly diesel emissions. Since the diesel fuels aren't burnt properly at this altitude, this leads to the formation of high amounts of soot particles, (also known as black carbon).

You can be sure that when you breathe in the air at Mexico City, you're in fact inhaling a sizeable proportion of these soot particles as well. Soot particles are also known to aggravate your eyes, throat and worse still can become dislodged in your lungs. Unfortunately, given the tiny size of the soot particles, no coughing or sneezing will expel this particulate matter

]]> 2018-03-08 14:13:16 UTC https://padlet.com/cha23237/jc7lcojbz6c1/wish/239652726 cha23237 https://padlet.com/cha23237/jc7lcojbz6c1/wish/239653888 These black carbon aerosols are quite difficult to remove from the atmosphere since the soot is hydrophobic. That is, the soot is water repellent and not easily washed out of the atmosphere by precipitation unlike water attracting (hygroscopic) particulates like nitrate and sulfate. So, for this reason, the Mexican government has had more success with reducing most forms of air pollutants in Mexico City, except for the soot.

]]> 2018-03-08 14:14:51 UTC https://padlet.com/cha23237/jc7lcojbz6c1/wish/239653888 mexico city cha23237 https://padlet.com/cha23237/jc7lcojbz6c1/wish/239655331 The air pollution in Mexico City is compounded by the fact that this city is located within the tropics. You can expect a lot of intense sunshine all year round, (more so in the winter months). ]]> 2018-03-08 14:16:59 UTC https://padlet.com/cha23237/jc7lcojbz6c1/wish/239655331 cha23237 https://padlet.com/cha23237/jc7lcojbz6c1/wish/239655398 Another contributor (though less important) to the daytime ozone problems in this region occurs due to the leakage of reactive olefins such as butenes and propene which are found in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Most of the LPG comes from household heating and cooking, which then leaks into the atmosphere. Much of this leaked LPG can't be burned properly due to the altitude of Mexico City and so when the intense sunlight reacts with the unburned component of the LPG, ozone is produced.

]]> 2018-03-08 14:17:06 UTC https://padlet.com/cha23237/jc7lcojbz6c1/wish/239655398 cha23237 https://padlet.com/cha23237/jc7lcojbz6c1/wish/239660030 You need to be aware that the worst time of the year for air pollution in Mexico City is near the end of the winter months (particularly February and March). However, air pollution concentrations are always high from 6am to 9am, which of course corresponds with peak hour traffic. High concentrations of air pollution in Mexico City also occurs on days when the there's little wind to disperse the pollutants beyond the cities boundaries.

]]> 2018-03-08 14:24:11 UTC https://padlet.com/cha23237/jc7lcojbz6c1/wish/239660030 cha23237 https://padlet.com/cha23237/jc7lcojbz6c1/wish/240139352 During the summer months, Mexico City has frequent heavy rain and storms which wash many of the air pollutants from the atmosphere.

In fact, air pollution in Mexico City is much lower in the mid-afternoon than any other part of the day. The main reason is due to the fact that there's enough wind in the afternoon to blow the majority of the pollutants out of the area.

]]> 2018-03-09 13:50:23 UTC https://padlet.com/cha23237/jc7lcojbz6c1/wish/240139352 cha23237 https://padlet.com/cha23237/jc7lcojbz6c1/wish/240140077 However, once the sun begins to set, the wind drops and many pollutants stagnate near the emission sources since a temperature inversion forms a few hundred metres above the ground.

In order for you avoid the majority of the smog in Mexico City, it's wise to travel outside the peak hour traffic times during weekdays.

You can also expect that the air pollution in Mexico City will be quite low during public holidays. Obviously, since there's much less vehicle traffic on the roads and many industries are closed during this period, you can expect that smog levels due to vehicle and industrial fumes will be markedly lower than on a weekday when there's no public holiday.

]]> 2018-03-09 13:51:52 UTC https://padlet.com/cha23237/jc7lcojbz6c1/wish/240140077