MEXICO CITY – The Commission for Sanitary Risk Prevention (Cofepris) reported that with the increasing levels of pollution in the metropolitan area of the Valley of Mexico, two standards were tightened: those that regulate the levels of ozone and particulate emissions, to 10 and 2.5 respectively, that are known to heighten chronic illnesses and can cause conjunctivitis and ear inflammation.
Rocío del Carmen Alatorre, of the Evidence and Risk Management Unit of Cofepris said also, since January, the program was expanded to measure hospital revenues, which could be related to exposure to pollution Mexico City, the State of Mexico, Puebla, Morelos, Hidalgo and Tlaxcala.
In a meeting with deputies of the Federal District Commission within the Chamber of Deputies, Del Carmen Alatorre indicated that the rules governing the emission of particles and ozone are in line with criteria issued by the World Health Organization, and seek to better protect the health of the citizens.
She said it has been shown that high levels of ozone and particulates heighten problems with asthma, bronchitis and respiratory infections among the population, and those with chronic diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a lung disease, increasing the risk of death.
“Between 25 and 30 percent more stringent, these values align them with WHO standards,” she said. “Here are the guiding values, our standards made stricter and precisely to achieve the WHO values, and to better protect the population. It could be said that we limit between 30 and 35 percent of the amount, or concentration, of these air pollutants to protect the population.”
Meanwhile, Telma Castro, director of the Atmospheric Sciences Center at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, said it should be understood that the issue of pollution will not be solved overnight and not limited to the Valley of Mexico, so it must broaden its measurement.
She said that there are precursors of contamination that are not regulated, such as burning gasoline, diesel fuel, liquefied petroleum gas, wood and asphalt, among others.
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