Air Quality in Florida Today May 31, 2021 – ICAP Air Condition

Alert (MP 2.5 80 µg ∕ m³) ICAP 200
Good (MP 10 93 µg ∕ m³N) ICAP 62
Good (Sulfur dioxide 6.03 µg ∕ m³N) ICAGSO₂ 1
Good (Nitrogen dioxide 12.24 ppbv)
Good (Carbon Monoxide 2.99 ppmv)
Good (Ozone 4 ppbv)

ICAP

Air Quality Index referred to Particles (ICAP) according to DS No. 59/1998 of the Ministry General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic (MINSEGPRES) that establishes the Primary Quality Standard for Respirable Particulate Material MP10 and especially the levels that define situations Environmental Emergency.

Guide to understand the restrictions and measures about the environmental quality of the air.

WELL

Heating: Prohibition of the Use of Wood Heaters (except pellets) in the province of Santiago and the communes of San Bernardo and Puente Alto.
Control of Visible Smokes to Heaters.

Automobile: Permanent Restriction to Vehicles Without a Green Seal inside the Américo Vespucio Ring and a 4-digit restriction outside the A. Vespucio Ring, from Monday to Friday.
Permanent Restriction to Vehicles With Green Seal (2 digits), registered before September 1, 2011, from Monday to Friday.

Motorcycles: Permanent Restriction to Motorcycles (2 digits), registered before September 1, 2010, from Monday to Friday.

Trucks “Restriction to Freight Transportation, No Green Seal, 4 digits, from Monday to Friday.

Fixed Sources: Not Applicable

Dry Firewood: Prohibition of Agricultural Burns in the entire Metropolitan Region, between March 15 and September 30.

Physical Activity: Not Applicable

REGULAR

Heaters: Prohibition of the Use of Wood Heaters (except pellets) in the province of Santiago and the communes of San Bernardo and Puente Alto.
Control of Visible Smokes to Heaters.

Automobile: Permanent Restriction to Vehicles Without a Green Seal inside the Américo Vespucio Ring and a 4-digit restriction outside the A. Vespucio Ring, from Monday to Friday.
Permanent Restriction to Vehicles With Green Seal (2 digits), registered before September 1, 2011, from Monday to Friday.

Motorcycles: Permanent Restriction to Motorcycles (2 digits), registered before September 1, 2010, from Monday to Friday. Freight Transportation: Restriction to Freight Transportation, No Green Seal, 4 digits, from Monday to Friday.

Fixed Sources: Not Applicable Dry Firewood: Prohibition of Agricultural Burns in the entire Metropolitan Region, between March 15 and September 30.

Physical Activity: Not Applicable

ALERT

Heaters: Prohibition of the Use of Wood Heaters (except pellets) throughout the Metropolitan Region.
Control of Visible Smokes to Heaters.

Automobile: Permanent Restriction to Vehicles Without a Green Seal inside the Américo Vespucio Ring and a 4-digit restriction outside the A. Vespucio Ring, from Monday to Friday.
Permanent Restriction to Vehicles With Green Seal (2 digits), registered before September 1, 2011, from Monday to Friday.

Motorcycles: Permanent Restriction to Motorcycles (2 digits), registered before September 1, 2010, from Monday to Friday.

Freight Transportation: Restriction to Freight Transportation, No Green Seal, 4 digits, from Monday to Friday.

Fixed Sources: Not Applicable

Dry Firewood: Prohibition of Agricultural Burns in the entire Metropolitan Region, between March 15 and September 30.

Physical Activity: It is recommended to refrain from physical activities. The RM Education SEREMI may recommend modifying physical activity in Educational Establishments.

PRE-EMERGENCY

Heaters: Prohibition of the Use of Wood Heaters including pellets throughout the Metropolitan Region.
Control of Visible Smokes to Heaters.

Automobile: Permanent Restriction to Vehicles Without a Green Seal within the Américo Vespucio Ring between 07:30 and 21:00 hours and a 6-digit restriction outside the A. Vespucio Ring, any day of the week.
Permanent Restriction to Vehicles With Green Seal (2 digits), registered before September 1, 2011, from Monday to Friday.

Motorcycles: Permanent Restriction to Motorcycles (2 digits), registered before September 1, 2010, from Monday to Friday between 07:30 and 21:00.

Freight Transportation: Restriction to Freight Transportation, Without Green Seal, 6 digits from Monday to Friday and 4-digit weekends and / or holidays. Restriction to Freight Transportation, With Green Seal, 2 digits from Monday to Friday and 2-digit weekends and / or holidays

Fixed Sources: They paralyze point and group sources that have not proven, through isokinetic measurements, that their concentrations of particulate matter are lower than that established by the Plan.

Dry Firewood: Prohibition of Agricultural Burns in the entire Metropolitan Region, between March 15 and September 30.

Physical Activity: It is recommended to refrain from physical activities. The RM Education SEREMI may recommend modifying physical activity in Educational Establishments.

EMERGENCY

Heaters: Prohibition of the Use of Wood Heaters includes pellets throughout the Metropolitan Region.
Control of Visible Smokes to Heaters.

Automobile: Permanent Restriction to Vehicles Without a Green Seal within the Américo Vespucio Ring and an 8-digit restriction outside the A. Vespucio Ring, any day of the week between 07:30 and 21:00.
4-digit restriction to Green Seal Vehicles, registered before September 1, 2011, any day of the week.

Motorcycles: 4-digit restriction, to Motorcycles registered before September 1, 2010, any day of the week between 07:30 and 21:00.

Freight Transportation: Restriction to Freight Transportation, Without Green Seal, 8 digits from Monday to Friday and 6-digit weekends and / or holidays. Restriction to Freight Transportation, With Green Seal, 4 digits, from Monday to Friday and 4-digit weekends and / or holidays.

Fixed Sources: Paralysis of Fixed Sources that do not meet their new Annual MP Emission Goals, according to the list of the SEREMI de Salud RM See in: SEREMI de Salud website.

Dry Firewood: Prohibition of Agricultural Burns in the entire Metropolitan Region, between March 15 and September 30.

Physical Activity: It is recommended to refrain from physical activities. The RM Education SEREMI may recommend modifying physical activity in Educational Establishments.

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS

• In pre-emergency and environmental emergency days, the use of masks is recommended for older adults, children, pregnant women and chronically ill patients.
• Prefer public transportation and / or share your car.
• Keep your vehicle gas checked up to date and change the engine oil before its expiration.
• Do not smoke inside your home, workplace or study.
• When you buy a heater, make sure it is certified for emissions, energy efficiency and safety.
• Do not burn leaves or garbage.
• Report those who do not respect the measures adopted for the alert, pre-emergency and emergency days. For more information see the Complaints page.
• Maintain your heater with the periodicity indicated by the manufacturer.
• Proper use of heaters
• Always use dry wood (less than 25% humidity), distributed by established merchants.
• Always use chopped firewood, do not burn whole logs.
• In wood-fired heaters, start fires only with paper and dry chips.
• In wood-fired heaters, keep the draft fully open for at least 10 minutes after starting the fire or recharging the wood.
• Constantly check the smoke coming out of the barrel of your stove or wood stove. If visible, open your heater’s draft to maintain a live flame. Never completely close the draft of your heater.
• Avoid creating a layer of creosote and soot on your barrel, as it increases the risk of inflammation, decreases the heating capacity and your stove pollutes more.
• If you can, replace your old furnace with a lower-emission, higher-efficiency one.
• Privilege the use of alternative fuels such as: gas, electricity, briquettes, petroleum derivatives, pellets, among others.
• All firewood merchants must have a municipal license, tax and forestry documentation, proving the legal origin of the firewood.
• Demand your ballot when buying firewood. With it you can assert your right as a consumer to exchange the product or refund the money if you are not satisfied with the purchase.

What is a pollutant?
Any element, energy, radiation, vibration or noise whose presence in the environment, at certain levels, may constitute a risk to people’s health, the quality of life of the population, the preservation of nature or the conservation of heritage environmental.

What is air pollution?
Presence of pollutants in the atmosphere, such as dust, gases, or smoke in amounts and for periods of time that are harmful to humans, wildlife, and property. These pollutants can be of natural origin or produced by man directly or indirectly.

What are the effects of air pollution?
Pollution is responsible for serious impacts on the health of the population with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. It is related to premature mortality events and hospital admissions, especially affecting people over 65 years of age, under 8 years of age and those who have chronic health problems (respiratory or cardiovascular). On the other hand, air pollution is responsible for producing negative impacts on ecosystems, by contributing to processes such as acid rain, depletion of the ozone layer and the generation of photochemical smog, as well as contributing to climate change.

What is Particulate Matter (PM)?

• Particulate material (PM) is an atmospheric pollutant that corresponds to those liquid or solid particles that are in suspension, being possible to classify it according to its diameter in PM10 (coarse) and PM2.5 (fine). The first is that in which the particles have a diameter of less than 10 microns (or microns) and the second, in which the particles have a diameter of less than 2.5 microns. For the same reason, the MP2.5 is contained in the MP10. There is also the so-called ultra-fine PM, around 0.1 µm in diameter.
• The PM concentration is the temporary average value detected in the air and is measured in micrograms per normal cubic meter (μg / m3N).
• Comparison of the size of a hair and of fine beach sand with particles MP10 and MP2.5

What is Breathable Particulate Material?
It comprises particles with a diameter of less than 10 μm, that is, PM10. These particles penetrate throughout the respiratory system to the lungs, causing irritations and affecting various diseases.

What is an Atmospheric Decontamination Prevention Plan?
It is an environmental management instrument that seeks to prevent primary or secondary environmental standards from being exceeded in a latent zone. A latent zone is a geographical area in which the measurement of the concentration of pollutants in the air, water or soil is between 80% and 100% of the value of the respective environmental quality standard.

What is an Atmospheric Decontamination Plan?
It is an environmental management instrument designed to reduce the presence of pollutants to the levels set by primary or secondary standards in a saturated area. A saturated zone is a geographic area in which one or more environmental quality standards are exceeded.

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