Status of air quality in Las Encinas Temuco this October 4, 2023

Chile has eight of the 10 South American cities with the worst air qualityaccording to figures from 2017 to 2021 prepared by the Swiss firm IQ Air, an expert in this matter.

Among the Chilean metropolises that appear in the list are Angol, Coyhaique, Padre de las Casas, Coronel, Temuco, Traigue, Nacimiento and Santiago.

Worldwide, the five most polluted countries in the last year They were Bangladesh, Chad, Pakistan, Tajikistan and India; while by capital, New Delhi (India) is the most polluted for the fourth consecutive year, followed by Dhaka (Bangladesh), N'Djamena (Chad), Dushanbe (Tajikistan) and Muscat (Oman).

Of the countries that make up the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Chile is the third member with highest annual average concentration of particulate matter (PM) 2.5.

Given this context, we leave you below the status of air quality this October 4, 2023 in Las Encinas Temuco:

Good (MP 2.5 32 µg∕m³) ICAP 64
Good (MP 10 32 µg∕m³N) ICAP 25
Good (Carbon monoxide 0.93 ppmv)

Heating: prohibition on the use of wood heaters (except pellets) in the province of Santiago and the communes of San Bernardo and Puente Alto.
Control of visible smoke from heaters.

Car: permanent restriction on vehicles without a green seal inside the Américo Vespucio Ring and four-digit restriction outside the Américo Vespucio Ring, from Monday to Friday.
Permanent restriction to vehicles with a green seal (two digits), registered before September 1, 2011, from Monday to Friday.

Motorcycles: permanent restriction to motorcycles (two digits), registered before September 1, 2010, from Monday to Friday.

Trucks: restriction on cargo transportation, without green seal, four digits, from Monday to Friday.

Fixed Sources: does not apply.

Dry Firewood: prohibition of agricultural burning throughout the metropolitan region, between March 15 and September 30.

Physical activity: does not apply.

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 of Environmental Emergency.

Good: 0 – 99
Regular: 100 – 199
Alert: 200 – 299
Pre-emergency: 300 – 499
Emergency: 500 – higher

PM10 or coarse particles, also called inhalable particles, are particles smaller than 10 micrometers but larger than 2.5 micrometers in diameter that are found in the air and are generated by mobile and stationary sources, naturally or anthropogenic, generally associated with to uncontrolled combustion and combustion processes in vehicles, foundry industries, paints, ceramics and power plants.

On pre-emergency and environmental emergency days, the use of masks is recommended for older adults, children, pregnant women, and chronically ill people.

Prefer public transportation and/or car sharing.
Keep vehicles with gas checks up to date and change the engine oil before its expiration.
Do not smoke inside the house, workplace or study.
When purchasing 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 alert, pre-emergency and emergency days.
Perform maintenance on the heaters with the frequency indicated by the manufacturer.
Proper use of heaters
Always use dry firewood (less than 25% humidity), distributed by established merchants.
Always use chopped firewood, do not burn whole logs.
In wood-burning heaters, start the fire only with paper and dry kindling.
In wood heaters, keep the draft completely open for at least 10 minutes after starting the fire or refilling firewood.
Constantly check the smoke coming out of the barrel of your heater or wood stove. If it is visible, open the vent on your heater to maintain a live flame. Never completely close the vent of your heater.
Prevent a layer of creosote and soot from forming on your barrel, as this increases the risk of inflammation, reduces heating capacity and causes more pollution to your stove.
If possible, replace the old heater with one with lower emissions and higher efficiency.
Privilege the use of alternative fuels such as: gas, electricity, briquettes, petroleum derivatives, pellets, among others.
All firewood dealers must have a municipal license, tax and forestry documentation, which proves the legal origin of the firewood.
Demand your receipt when purchasing firewood. With it you can assert your right as a consumer to exchange the product or get your money back if you are not satisfied with the purchase.

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