The effect of national protest in Ecuador on PM pollution

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 17591 - 12
• Main Authors: Zalakeviciute, Rasa, Alexandrino, Katiuska, Mejia, Danilo, Bastidas, Marco G., Oleas, Nora H., Gabela, Diana, Chau, Phuong Ngoc, Bonilla-Bedoya, Santiago, Diaz, Valeria, Rybarczyk, Yves
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 02.09.2021; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 639/166; 704/172; Air pollution; Air quality; Analytical chemistry; Burning; Chemical analysis; Chemical elements; Chromium; Copper; Demonstrations & protests; Emissions; Heavy metals; Housing; Human populations; Humanities and Social Sciences; Learning algorithms; Machine learning; multidisciplinary; Outdoor air quality; Paralysis; Particulate matter; Particulate pollution; Pollutants; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); VOCs; Volatile organic compounds; Ecuador
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96868-6

Particulate matter (PM) accounts for millions of premature deaths in the human population every year. Due to social and economic inequality, growing human dissatisfaction manifests in waves of strikes and protests all over the world, causing paralysis of institutions, services and circulation of transport. In this study, we aim to investigate air quality in Ecuador during the national protest of 2019, by studying the evolution of PM 2.5 (PM ≤ 2.5 µm) concentrations in Ecuador and its capital city Quito using ground based and satellite data. Apart from analyzing the PM 2.5 evolution over time to trace the pollution changes, we employ machine learning techniques to estimate these changes relative to the business-as-usual pollution scenario. In addition, we present a chemical analysis of plant samples from an urban park housing the strike. Positive impact on regional air quality was detected for Ecuador, and an overall − 10.75 ± 17.74% reduction of particulate pollution in the capital during the protest. However, barricade burning PM peaks may contribute to a release of harmful heavy metals (tire manufacture components such as Co, Cr, Zn, Al, Fe, Pb, Mg, Ba and Cu), which might be of short- and long-term health concerns.