Keywords
pollution
greenhouse gases
health damages
How to Cite
Abstract
The burning of agricultural waste in the Mexicali and Imperial valleys, on opposite sides of the U.S. - Mexico border, constitutes an important source of air pollutants emissions, such as methane (CH4), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), hydrocarbons (NMHC) , and particles smaller than 10 microns (PM10). Dealing with the agricultural smoke problem must consider a common air shed formed by both valleys, which shares extremely dry and hot weather not exceeding 80 mm of rain precipitation annually, plus the fact that agriculture is their main activity. Furthermore, Mexicali's economy is also based on the manufacturing industry and other activities. In Mexicali, the residuals burned are mainly wheat, and in a smaller proportion barley, safflower and corn. The health damages caused by PM 10 emissions are important in both valleys.
References
ALASDIC. 2006. Clean Air & Environment–Clean Air Court Victory for Imperial County. http://www.lungsandiego.org/environemnet/pressimperialc–victory.asp (4 de abril de 2007).
––––––––––. 2006. Clean Air & Environment–no Burn Campaign in Imperial Valley. http://www.lungsandiego.org/environment/press_noburn.asp (4 de abril de 2006).
Botkin, D. B. y E. A. Keller. 1995. Environmental Science: Earth as a Living Planet. Nueva York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Cançado, J. E. D., P. H. N. Saldiva, L. A. A. Pereira, L. B. C. S. Lara, P Artaxo, L. A. Martinelly M. A. Arbex, A. Zanobetti y A. L. F. Braga. 2006. The Impact of Sugar Cane Burning Emissions in the Respiratory System of Children and Elderly. http://dx.doi.org (4 de abril de 2006).
CARB. 1993. La quema agrícola. Manual de auto instrucción. Distritos locales de control de la contaminación del aire. Sacramento: CARB.
––––––––––. 1979. Emission Factors for NO2. CARB project a7–068–30 by E.F. Darley.
Chow, J. C. y J. G. Watson. 2006. Overview of Ultrafine Particles and Human Health. En Management of Natural Resources, Sustainable Development and Ecological Hazards, editado por C. A. Brebia, M. E. Conti y E. Tiezzi, 619–632. Southampton: Wit Press.
Curry, Bob. 2006. Joint Advisory Committee for the Improvemenet of Air Quality in the Paso del Norte Region, ponencia presentada en la primera Mesa binacional de trabajo sobre calidad del aire de los valles de Mexicali e Imperial, Mexicali.
Diario Oficial de la Federación. 1999. Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM–015–SEMARNAP/SAGAR–1997. "Que regula el uso del fuego en terrenos forestales y agropecuarios, y que establece las especificaciones, criterios y procedimientos para ordenar la participación social y de gobierno en la detección y el combate de los incendios forestales." 2 de marzo.
––––––––––.1994. Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM–026–ssa1–1993. "Salud Ambiental. Criterio para evaluar la calidad del aire ambiente, con respecto al plomo (Pb). Valor normado para la concentración de plomo (Pb) en el aire ambiente, como medida de protección a la salud de la población". 18 de agosto.
Ducheny Denise M. 2006. Primera Mesa binacional de trabajo sobre calidad del aire de los valles de Mexicali e Imperial, Mexicali.
EPA. 1983. Compilation of Air Pollutant Emission Factors. EPA publicaction AP–42.
––––––––––. 1980. National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). http://www.epa.gov/air/criteria.html (22 de agosto de 2007).
Fernando, H. J. S. 2004. Agricultural Burns Surrounding the San Luis Border Region: Plume Pathways and Health Effects. SCERP project number: A–04–07. http://scerp.org/new/det_research_pub.asp?IdInvestigacion=7080 (22 de agosto de 2007).
Gálvez, C. F 2006. Schwarzenegger Vetoes Ducheny Border Air Quality Bill. Press Bulletin by Field Representive Office of Senator Denise M. Ducheny, September.
Ganster, P. 1996. Environmental Issues of the California–Baja California Border Region. Border Environmental Research Reports, number 1. SCERP. SDSU.
Instituto Nacional de Ecología. 2002. Protocolo de Kioto, "Anexo A". Categorías y sectores de las fuentes de emisión de gases de efecto invernadero. México: INE.
INE–CENICA. 2002. Informe de la situación y de los conocimientos actuales sobre las principales fuentes y emisiones de dioxinas en México. México: INE–CENICA.
INE–SEMARNAP, Secretaría de Salud, Gobierno del Estado de Baja California, Gobierno Municipal de Mexicali. 1999. Programa para Mejorar la Calidad del Aire de Mexicali, 2000–2005. Mexicali: INE–SEMARNAP, Secretaría de Salud, Gobierno del Estado de Baja California, Gobierno municipal de Mexicali.
Kerry Kelly, D. A. Wagner, M. Quintero, K. Collins. 2005. Agricultural Burning in the Imperial–Mexicali Valley. Reunión del equipo de trabajo de calidad del aire de Mexicali e Imperial, 7 de abril, uesd, campus Caléxico.
Middleton, J.T., J. B. Kendrick y H. W. Schwalm. 1950. Injury to Herbaceous Plants by Smog or Air Pollution. Plant Dis. Rep. 34: 245–252.
Periódico Oficial del Gobierno del Estado de Baja California. 1997. Reglamento de protección al ambiente para el municipio de Mexicali, Baja California. Tomo CIV, no. 50, sección 1.8. Diciembre, pp 89–132.
Poirez, Brad. 2006. Agricultural Burn Program and Smoke Management Program Presentation. Reunión del equipo de trabajo de calidad del aire de Mexicali e Imperial, 7 de marzo, UESD, campus Caléxico.
Quintero, N. Margarito, Marco Antonio Reyna C., Kimberly Collins, Saul Guzmán, Bill Powers y Alberto Mendoza. 2006. Issues Related to Air Quality and Health in the California—Baja California Border Region. http://www.scerp.org/pubs/m14/Chapter1.pdf (26 de junio de 2008).
Wendel, K.C., D.A. Wagner, K.E. Kelly, G.D. Silcox, M. D. Caballero, V. G. M. Mejía. 2004. Characterizing Emissions for Agricultural Burning in a Pilot Scale. SCERP project number A–04–02.
Open access policy
The authors who publish in región y sociedad accept the following conditions:
In accordance with the copyright laws, región y sociedad recognizes and respects the authors’ moral rights, as well as the ownership of property rights, which will be transferred to the journal to disseminate the articles in open access. región y sociedad does not charge the authors for submitting and processing articles for publication.
All the texts published by región y sociedad —with no exception— are distributed under a Creative Commons license 4.0 Attribution – Noncommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0 International), which allows third parties to use the publication as long as they mention the works’ authorship and the first publication in this journal.
The authors can enter into independent and additional contractual agreements for the nonexclusive distribution of the version of the article published in región y sociedad (for instance include it into an institutional repository or publish it in a book) as long as they clearly indicate that the work was published for the first time in región y sociedad.
For all the above, the author(s) must send the Letter of transfer of property rights of the first publication duly filled in and signed by the author(s). This letter can be sent by e-mail as a PDF to: region@colson.edu.mx