Although some medical experts may quibble at the exactness of the statistics, 655 people die on average each year as a direct result of the air contamination in metro-area Guadalajara, according to a new report by the Mexican Institute of Petroleum.
Air pollution is responsible for an average of 840 hospitalizations and 40,103 visits to the doctor, the study concludes. The cost of the bad air for public health services is around 206 million pesos annually.
The Guadalajara metropolitan area registers the second highest ozone and micro particle levels of any city in Mexico, the Petroleum Institute says.
In presenting the findings of the report this week, Adriana Rodriguez Villavicencio, in charge of observing air quality at the Jalisco Environment Secretariat, said most people are acutely aware of the air pollution in the city, which can provoke dry mouth syndrome, nose and throat irritation, headaches and nausea. She noted that most of the fatalities linked to air pollution in Guadalajara are people whose respiratory conditions have been aggravated by the toxins in the atmosphere.
A spokesman from the Jalisco Health Department press office refused to comment on the Petroleum Institute figures but noted that it was “very difficult” to determine if someone has died directly as a result of contaminated air.
However, the World Health Organization reported last year that around seven million people died worldwide in 2012 from air contamination exposure. The finding more than doubled previous estimates, prompting the WHO to label air pollution as “the world’s largest single environmental health risk.
WHO data also reveals a strong link between air pollution exposure and cardiovascular diseases, such as strokes and ischaemic heart disease, as well as between air pollution and cancer. This is in addition to air pollution’s role in the development of respiratory diseases, including acute respiratory infections and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.
From a personal point of view, Rodriguez said she can perceive the rapid improvement in air quality as soon as she leaves the city limits.
At an open forum held later this week to discuss the Petroleum Institute findings, Environment Secretary Magdalena Ruiz confirmed that 96 percent of the poor air in Guadalajara is caused by emissions from 1.9 million motor vehicles. She said an efficient verification system would significantly reduce the amount of harmful contaminants city dwellers breathe in on a daily basis.
A major revamp of the smog check program is in the works, Ruiz promised.