The Investigation of Air Pollution for Carbon Monoxide Evaluations in Guatemala City
Celine Chong *
Environmental Sciences Division, STEM Science Center, 111 Charlotte Place Ste#100/ Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632, USA.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a common gas released naturally and due to industrialization. When released into the air, this gas is one of the most dangerous factors of air pollution, which harms the environment and human health. In third-world countries such as Guatemala, Honduras, and India, people face severe illnesses, including carbon monoxide poisoning, respiratory diseases, and premature deaths due to air pollution, mainly occurring during the rapid urbanization of major cities. This urbanization and increasing number of motor vehicles affect the high levels of CO, which results in deaths from various respiratory diseases. Despite the harmful effects of CO poisoning, significant actions have yet to be taken. Therefore, the research team has been taken to Guatemala City, Guatemala's most populated city, to measure Carbon Monoxide levels in various locations under various conditions.
An Easy Log USB has been used to measure Carbon Monoxide (CO) levels to assess the areas with a high level of harmful CO. The study has found that an enormous amount of CO is present in highly populated areas, 100 ~ 200% up for a certain time, compared to the indoor air, and reached a result that corroborated the assertions that CO poisoning with 20% higher CO in their hemoglobin might increase the number of intoxicated Guatemalan people. The national government should implement appropriate regulations and methods to follow up on CO emissions and reduce its consequence to prosper economically and socially.
Keywords: Carbon monoxide pollution, guatemalan air pollution, industrial developing environments, populated area congestion, urbanization