Niveles ambientales de las PM2.5 y distancia a una vía de alto tránsito en Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México Environmental PM2.5 levels and distance from a heavy traffic road in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico

Abstract

OBJETIVO: Evaluar los niveles de las PM2.5 a diferentes distancias de una vía de alto tránsito. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se realizaron mediciones diarias de PM2.5, del 26 al 30 de agosto de 2002, a diferentes distancias de la avenida Tecnológico, en Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México. Se hizo estadística descriptiva para cada distancia considerada y análisis de las pruebas no paramédicas de Kruskal Wallis y de tendencias cruzadas en grupos ordenados. RESULTADOS: Se encontró una tendencia de decremento significativa de la mediana de las PM2.5 conforme se aleja el punto de medición de la avenida Tecnológico (pOBJECTIVE: To assess PM2.5 levels at different distances from a heavy traffic road. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Daily measurements of PM2.5 were taken between August 26 and 30, 2002, at different distances from Tecnológico Avenue in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. Data analysis consisted of descriptive statistics for each distance and Kruskal Wallis and cross trend for ranks. RESULTS: We found a significantly decreasing trend of PM2.5 median levels with increasing distance from Tecnológico Avenue (p< 0.001). At 100 m distance from the avenue, PM2.5 levels decreased by 9.5 µg/m3 (40.6%) when compared to median levels registered on the avenue. The results showed a highly significant negative correlation between PM2.5 measurements and the distance from the avenue (r=-0.70, n=20 and p=0.0005). CONCLUSIONS: PM2.5 median levels decreased significantly after 100 meters from heavy traffic roads. These results are of great relevance when assessing exposure to PM2.5 in epidemiological studies.

Keywords

• PM2.5
• vías de alto tránsito
• México
• PM2.5
• heavy traffic roads
• Mexico