Evaluation of air quality and health perception in the urban area of La Ceja (Antioquia, Colombia) through a community participation strategy.

Echeverri-García, Sandra María; Toro, Vladimir G.; Martínez-Herrera, Eliana

Air quality monitoring favors adequate urban planning and policy implementation to ensure public health. Most Colombian municipalities lack air quality measurement networks. It is the case of La Ceja (Antioquia), which in recent years has experienced accelerated demographic and urban growth associated with an upsurge in the number of vehicles and the consequences for air pollution. To face this situation, we compiled information about air quality to learn from its inhabitants' health perceptions. Seven low-cost devices were placed in sectors of the urban area of the municipality to measure the concentrations of particular matter up to 2.5 µg (PM2.5) for 5 consecutive months. The sensors completed weekly surveys to ascertain public perception of the state of health. Temporal and spatial analyses were performed with the data. Results suggest that, according to Colombian regulations, the AQI was appropriate on 83% of the monitoring days. However, the highest concentrations of PM2.5, associated with the widespread use of gunpowder, were observed on specific occasions, such as the year-end holidays. The perception of the health status of the participants stands out (91%). These results raise the possibility that citizen networks can be used to support environmental management and public health in intermediate municipalities.

AIR quality; CITIES & towns; COMMUNITY involvement; AIR quality monitoring; URBAN growth; URBAN health

Gestión y Ambiente, 2022, Vol 25, Issue 2, p1

0124-177X

Academic Journal

10.15446/ga.v25n2.106267