Forest fires worsen air quality in several parts of Brazil | Environment

Forest fires worsen air quality in several parts of Brazil

Representing a threat to the planet and a risk to our health, air pollution is a concern in several parts of the country.

According to an international study, Only in Brazil do diseases related to pollution cause 80 thousand deaths per annum. Worldwide, this number reaches seven millions.

➡️O report analyzed air quality in cities in 134 countries. The measurement reveals the amount of particulate matter or aerosol present in the atmosphere.

• Fortaleza, in Ceará, was the The only city that fell within the parameters established by the WHO was Strength. Still, according to city hall, at least 400 people die every year from diseases related to air pollution.
• Xapuri, in Acre, was the Brazilian municipality with the worst pollution rate in 2023.
• Manaus, in Amazonas, was the capital with the worst performance, as a result of last year’s historic drought and fires.

“It has a lot to do with a very extreme El Niño that we observed last year”, says Marco Aurélio Franco, professor in the Atmospheric Sciences department at USP. He also states that the fires in the region induce high emissions of “particulate matter into the atmosphere, impacting, for example, visibility and breathability.”

In São Paulo, the largest metropolitan region in the country, the negative highlight is due to Osascowith the second worst air in the country. Guarulhos comes in fifth place, followed by Sao Caetano do Sul.

The capital of São Paulo appears in an intermediate position, but still exceeds the WHO guidelines between two and three times.

The main villain in the region is diesel, with the burning of fuel being the great silent enemy.

“Five percent of vehicles in the city of São Paulo are diesel. However, these vehicles correspond to approximately half of air pollutant emissions”, explains Marco Aurélio.

Doctor at the Pulmonology Division at InCor and collaborating professor at the USP Faculty of Medicine, Ubiratan De Paula Santos, states that the “organism does not have a good defense against chemical products for pollutants”.

He further highlights that “the main causes of death from pollution are coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction, cerebral ischemia or stroke, lung cancer and bladder cancer.”