The Photochemical Smog in Mexico City - Literature review Example

ENVIRONMENT By (Name) Institution Instructor Class/Course City Introduction Environmental health is one of the modernity aspects of the world today since poor environmental issues leads to sanitation problems, unclean water, air, and all other components that make up environmental resources. In the analysis of these components of environmental health, the effects of the unhealthy environment take the center stage of this paper. Looking at country by country, Mexico is one of the first countries in the world with profound environmental issues, being among the most polluted countries in the world according to the 1992 UNEP report. Currently, based on the advancement of the same report, Mexico City is ranked the top most polluted city in the world and thus posing major environmental issues even to the future generation. Though there is improvement, the state of the smog portrays a contrary image. The air pollution plaguing the city for ages, has distorted the aesthetic view of the city, with the beautiful snowcapped mountain view now disappearing from the view of the city dwellers. The smog also endangers human health despite measures put in by the government and the relevant government agencies (Jacobson, et al, 2012). Various factors have contributed to this smog and they include the rapid population growth from the 1950s, industrial growth and the fumes emitted from vehicles within the city. This paper critically examines the photochemical smog in Mexico City, with an aim of linking it to the adverse impact it has on the environment. Photochemical Smog Fernandez and Carson (2002) point out that smog is formed as a result of air molecules colliding with different molecular particles of pollutants. Usually visible, they then combine to form compounds which cause damage to the environment. When air is polluted by inorganic compounds originating from liquids and solids of a volatile nature, chemicals hazardous to the environment are formed in the air. Some such as Nitrogen oxides normally come from the smoke emitted by cars, trucks and trains, and when they come into contact with sunlight, they form smog. As observed by Onursal and Gautam (2007), the chemicals in gaseous form are perilous to human health and other forms of life. They are also usually found in building materials such as paint. Analysis Of Mexico City Being one of the World’s largest cities, Mexico City is located in the Federal District of the Mexican Republic with some of the other states join to form the Metropolitan Area. Land use is one of the major causes of environmental degradation. Onursal and Gautam acknowledge that the land use in this vast city is distorted and misused especially by the district government. Inhabited by 21 million people, Valle de Mexico is one of the largest Metropolitan areas in the world. Polluted air has innumerable effects on the people’s health. Big cities are are usually vulnerable to air pollution. Los Angeles, for instance, is such a city. However when the rates of pollution are compared, Mexico City does not fare any better as it has a worse air pollution index. This is evident in the smogsurrounding Mexico City. Residential Distribution: Molina, & Molina( 2002) point out that 16.36% of the people live in Iztapalapa area, 12% In .A. Madero, 10% in A.Obregon and another 10% in Tlalpan with the remaining population spread out in other districts. Industry: According to a research carried out since 1987, most of the industrial activity takes place in the Northern parts of the Federal District. Most of the industrial activity is within the metropolitan area. Hidalgo, Iztapalapa, A. Maderoand Azcapotzalca have a share of 27%, 16%, 14%, 12% respectively. The rest of the industrial activity is proportionately distributed in the other remaining areas of the city. Green Area Distribution: The Federal areas lacks green areas such as parks as compared to other areas in the metropolitan areas. Most parks are located in the Southern part of the City. M. Alta represents the area with the largest green area cover with 32%, followed by Tlapan with 30% and Xochimilco with 12%. The rest of the green areas are spread out in the other remaining districts. From a Geographical perspective, human activities coupled by geographical factors, are responsible for the unconducive scenarios. Lying at 2200 metres above sea level and located in an extinct volcano, Mexico City is prone to have low Oxygen levels, as pointed out by Fernandez& Carson (2002). The low oxygen is responsible for incomplete combustion in engines, which results in the formation of a number of compounds such as Carbon (IV) Oxide. When sunlight comes to play as a factor, an abnormal level of smog levels of fog are formed. This fog then blocks the sun’s rays from reaching the earth. This results in a dark and sky as Jacobson, et al, (2012) points out. The Metropolitan Environmental Commission has tried to control this problem by initiating some incentives. Their attempts have been relatively successful. However, previous incentives such as PICCA and PROAIRE in which the usage of vehicles during the weekdays was banned, failed miserably. This is attributed to the fact that vital sectors of the economy such as manufacturing, were negatively affected. Fenn (2002) argues that though there is an extent of control established on chemicals such as lead, sulphur and carbon oxides, air contamination is still on the high as this is seen in the smog. Pollution According to Fernandez, & Carson (2002), there have been programs initiated by the environmental authorities to improve the quality of the city’s air since 2010 by the PROAIRE program of Mexico. However, accurate measures are needed to determine how the air quality can be improved. This will help in reducing the adverse effects of smog especially on human health, and in turn help save the money spent on health bills. The perception of air pollution also determines the relationship between inhabitants and air pollution. The most important pollutants are Ozone (O3), Sulphur (IV) oxide, and other precursors such as Nitrogen Oxides (NO) s, hydrocarbons (HC) s, and Carbon (II) Oxide, which is as a result of incomplete combustion due to the partial pressure of Oxygen. The prevalence of air pollution in Mexico is something that has been neglected. The government is now stepping in with an intention of to address the people’s perception of air pollution. The people need to realize the extent of influence that air pollution has on their lives, and other organisms. They also need to know which measures they can take in a bid to curb air pollution. Onursal, & Gautam (2007) point out that transportation is the major consumer of energy. It is also the major source of gaseous emissions and consequently, air pollution, especially private cars. The prevailing atmospheric conditions also play a big role in the state of air pollution in Mexico City. Temperatures prevent exhausted gases from spreading to the valleys thus causing this gases to be trapped in the atmosphere therefore leading to them being trapped in the air which forms smog that is very harmful. Produced in the presence of sunlight, Ozone is usually a very unstable compound. It causes oxidation of other materials in the atmosphere at a rate faster than Oxygen. A closer analysis of ZMCM of Onursal, & Gautam (2007), found that the concentration of Ozone is one of the major environmental fears, not only in Mexico, but also in the world. The recommended level of 0.11 ppm has been normally exceeded and measures to avert this should be done as a matter of utmost urgency. The main sources therefore include hydrocarbons from internal combustion engines and Nitrogen Oxides under the influence of ultraviolet light. Onursal, & Gautam (2007) In contrast, the main effects include the growth of trees and plants. The Mexican government needs to address the motivation to solve the factors causing air pollution. This is because their increasing size may extend the pollution to another level. Although the nation seems reluctant, other states have chipped in in a bid to help. Effects on Health One of the characteristics of smog is that it irritates. It also leads to inflammation of the membrane tissues. This causes respiration problems and the inflammation of the throat. They lead to pneumonia and colds as some of the effects. Smog is particularly dangerous to those suffering from Asthma as Sharma, & Sharma point out. (2010). A small exposure to smog may be fatal to asthmatics due to their sensitivity. Health experts find little difference between the effects of smoking and those of exposure to smog. The sources of pollution include road construction and dust, burning of refuse in the open air and burning forests among others. Sharma &Sharma (2010) point out that the air of Mexico City also contains other pollutants, which are majorly caused by vehicle exhausts. These chemicals such as Carbon (II) Oxide, Ozone and Nitrogen Oxides are dangerous and may result in death if continually exposed to life (Jacobson, et al, 2012). Their invisibility compared to aforementioned pollutants make them even more hazardous to human health. Air pollution has a great bearing on urban pollution as far as the concentration’s nature is concerned. Though exposure may be initially seen as only irritating, continual exposure coupled with the addition of harmful gases ultimately leads to death. Toxicological experiments, relying mainly on animals, involving a few people while epidemiological studies rely on effects of on health as a consequence of being exposed to these gases. Epidemiological processes take a shorter period on humans due to the adverse effects that accrue on the human body causing chronic illnesses as a result of being exposed to these harmful gases. Photochemical processes are the major pollutants in Mexico City as stated by Molina, &Molina (2002). Though the analysis of this component is complex, it is vital in determining the extent of pollution. The presence of Nitrogen in the air, and its presence as an impurity in fuels, makes it convert to exhaust gases. This impurities also add to the pollution of the gases in the atmosphere. In the event that toxic gases such as Chlorine and Sulphur are present, then the resultant compounds of Chlorine and Sulphur are formed. These compounds are very dangerous to health and life. The Cost of Pollution The policy and approaches of the Mexican government have wandered on how to quantify the cost of air pollution on the people. (Jacobson, et al, 2012). With an aim of increasing the productivity and efficiency level to be used to determine the cost of pollution, people want a fair cost of treatment so as to improve their lifespan. Therefore communication and social participation experts have realized that in order to realize the people’s perception and the pollution cost indirectly, promising compensation is a must. Control Strategies Just as major cities such as London, the reduction of smog has been made a priority. Identifying transport as a key player in pollution helps in designing solutions to ensure transport efficiency. The ultimate aim should be reducing the pollution level. The interchanging use of fuels has also been suggested. Reformulation of fuel composition has been tried, although marginal results have been yielded. These results have been accepted due to the fact that the designs of engines have been the limiting factor, as Onursal & Gautam (2007) argue. This coupled with meteorological and geographical factors have led to a high level of Ozone gas emissions. At times, car owners have been urged to use public means to limit the extent of air pollution. Control of the vehicle mechanisms has been proposed by Sharma, & Sharma (2010) as a means to control the air pollution that the local government should adopt. This is because, scientifically, the incomplete combustion of the hydrocarbon fuels leads to the production of Carbon (II) Oxide and other unburnt hydrocarbons. The government should put in place and strictly enforce policies that ensure regular engine maintenance. Such measures and policies will minimize air pollution and ensure that the smog gradually disappears. References Fenn, M. E. 2002. Urban air pollution and forests: resources at risk in the Mexico City Air Basin. New York [u.a.], Springer. Fernandez, L., & Carson, R. 2002. Both sides of the border: transboundary environmental management issues facing Mexico and the United States. Dordrecht, Kluwer Academic Publishers. Jacobson, M. Z., & Jacobson, M. Z. 2012. Air pollution and global warming: history, science, and solutions. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. Molina, L. T., & Molina, M. J. 2002. Air quality in the Mexico megacity: an integrated assessment. Dordrecht, Kluwer Academic Publishers. Onursal, B., & Gautam, S. P. 2007. Vehicular air pollution experiences from seven Latin American urban centers. Washington, DC, World bank. Sharma, P. D., & Sharma, P. D. 2010. 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