Abstract
On November 19, 2018, 30 years after establishment, the updated Brazilian National Air Quality Standards (NAQS) were published. These NAQS were formulated as a fundamental part and instrument of the National Program for the Control of Air Quality and considering, as a reference, the World Health Organization Air Quality Guidelines, published in 2005. An important contribution is the inclusion of PM2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 µm) as a criteria pollutant and a more restrictive target limit for PM10 (particles that have aerodynamic diameters less than or equal to 10 µm). In this work, the NAQS were discussed using, as a case study, data collected during the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The lack of PM2.5 data for Brazilian cities results in the calculation of a lower air quality index (AQI), leading to ostensibly good air quality. The results presented in this study clearly support the requirement of improvement of the new resolution since, in the present form, it does not meet the main goal of protecting public health.
Highlights
According to a recent World Health Organization (WHO) report,1 4.2 million deaths per year can be attributed to ambient air pollution due to stroke, ischemic heart disease, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
The air quality index (AQI) informed by SMAC were calculated using the 5-level classification: “Good” (< 50), “Moderate” (51‐100), “Inadequate/unhealthy” (101-200), “Very unhealthy” (201‐300) and “Hazardous” (> 300), as shown in Table 5.13 The AQI calculation is detailed by SMAC and is presented as Supplementary Information (SI, equation S1).[13]
In Irajá, the ozone concentration value of 201 μg m-3 was exceeded on two days (August 16 and September 18), leading to an AQI > 200 (“Very unhealthy” air quality), considering the SMAC reports.[13]
Summary
According to a recent World Health Organization (WHO) report,1 4.2 million deaths per year can be attributed to ambient air pollution due to stroke, ischemic heart disease, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In 2016, WHO2 released a new model that uses data from satellite and ground stations to estimate population exposure to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5). Data for PM10 (particles that have aerodynamic diameters less than or equal to 10 μm) and PM2.5 were compiled for approximately 3000 cities and districts. The model confirmed that 92% of the world population lives in places where air quality levels exceed World Health Organization Air Quality Guidelines (WHO AQGs) for PM2.5 (10 μg m-3 annual mean).[2]. Data from 45 Brazilian stations were included in the WHO database, collected in 2014.3 For PM2.5 concentrations, the mean annual value (for the 45 stations)
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