Portal de Murcia
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Before the activation for the second time of the anti-pollution protocol, the organization demands effective actions of decrease and pacification of road traffic, and a greater control of the agricultural burning in the environment of the city.
They also demand a greater investment in the atmospheric surveillance network that avoids maintenance problems and lack of data due to breakdowns.
Ecologists in Action returns to address the City of Murcia and the Directorate General of Environment before the activation, for the second time in a few days, the anti-pollution protocol in Murcia, due to increased PM10 particle pollution.
These particles affect the health of the population, and its main source is the traffic of motor vehicles in the city of Murcia, although agricultural burns also contribute to the vegetable garden.
They warn that air pollution is a public health problem, and that many recent scientific studies warn of its harmful effects on the population, ranging from the loss of quality of life, to the appearance and / or worsening of lung diseases and cardiovascular diseases, as well as increased mortality and decreased life expectancy.
Regarding the attitude adopted by the City of Murcia, the environmental organization, considers unacceptable and totally insufficient that the consistory remains mere recommendations.
The recommendations are good as a measure of social awareness about the problem, but they have not had a significant effect on the reduction of pollution during the first episode of contamination, nor will it have it in this new episode, since it is not accompanied by effective measures of reduction of traffic.
Ecologistas en Acción urges the City of Murcia and the General Directorate of the Environment to truly face the problem of air pollution, mainly due to the excessive traffic of motor vehicles, and to adopt serious and effective measures, both in the prevention of This type of episodes, as in the measures to adopt to reduce the impact and duration of them.
Thus, as an example of measures to reduce and shorten episodes such as these days, they point to the restriction of the most polluting vehicles to the urban environment, the gratuity of public transport and extension of their schedules and reinforcements during peak hours, the express prohibition of any activity that involves the increase of pollution such as agricultural burning, earth movements, etc.
These measures, applicable by the City Council, require human and financial means for its execution, which must be provided in advance to be able to start up when the pollution conditions demand it.
Planning and foreseeing the necessary means to apply the municipal protocol in the face of episodes of contamination is the only way to go from paper and good intentions to real action and effectiveness.
Ecologists in Action asks the Regional Government and the City of Murcia not to try to minimize to the public opinion the seriousness of this type of situation, since it is a pollution that directly affects the health of citizens, which is why they establish legal limits and protocols of action against polluting episodes, in order to protect the population.
They also remember the importance of both administrations working on actions that effectively reduce pollution linked to traffic, which inevitably involves decreasing the number of motor vehicles that circulate in the municipality.
For this, the most effective is to apply incentive measures of public transport and other non-motorized transport, such as cycling and walking, at the same time that restrictive measures are applied to the use of the motor vehicle, especially the most polluting ones.
There are many measures that can be taken by the consistory in the exercise of its powers.
To conclude, the organization criticizes that we still have a regional network of surveillance of obsolete air quality and multiple deficiencies, something that have been denouncing for several years.
Many analyzers have greatly exceeded their useful life, due to lack of sufficient investment from the Regional Government.
The obsolescence of the regional network causes deterioration in these infrastructures, increasing problems and maintenance costs, increasing technical failures and the consequent absence of data, increasing incidents, false overruns, breakdowns, crashes of the computer system, etc.
These negative aspects cause, in many cases, an irregular operation, limiting the quality, the capture and evaluation of the data on air pollution in our region, distorting the real situation.
About particle contamination
The pollution produced by PM10 particles (particles up to 10 microns) is emitted by road traffic, especially heavy road traffic, the petrochemical industry, metallurgical activities and phosphate production, etc., to which the sources are added of natural origin as the intrusions of Saharan dust that affect the Murcian region in an episodic way.
Chronic exposure to particles has been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
Increases PM10 particles, cause a 1% increase in income of all cardiovascular causes.
In 2014, 92% of the population resided in places where the air quality guidelines were not met.
Of all air pollutants, particulate matter, derived from fuels, has the greatest effect on health.
It is estimated that 25% of deaths from lung cancer, 8% of lung diseases (COPD) and 15% of ischemic heart disease and stroke and deaths PM10 particles have also an impact on the natural environment.
By depositing on the leaves of plants can reduce the capacity of gas exchange and affect photosynthesis.
Source: Ecologistas en Acción
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