QUANTIFICATION OF INDOOR AIR POLLUTION ON GUATEMALAN PEOPLE - ITS PERVASIVE EFFECT ON PUBLIC HEALTH

Guatemala has been emerging as a developing nation in various aspects of industrial sectors. After years of political, civil, and military turmoil, the country has barely managed to be developed up to this much only for the last two decades. Yet, as the country is on a rapid rise of industrialization, it is also facing some common problems that most industrializing countries face, which is air pollution. In recent years, the pollution within the atmosphere of Guatemala City has become so bad that the World Health Organization has labeled it in the top 10 worst cities to live in North and South America. Therefore, it was deemed urgent to study the effects of toxic air pollution. For the purpose, our research group traveled to Guatemala for several weeks to monitor the pollution level in Guatemala City. The objective of the study was the monitoring indoor air pollution (IAP) of multiple indoor microenvironment.

This study was performed mainly on IAP, which is responsible for the detrimental health, social, and environmental effects that Guatemala has been known for in the last decade. Several indoor microenvironments were randomly selected to access the levels of IAPs. Carbon monoxide levels, one of the leading indicators of dangerous IAP levels, were measured by an Easy Log E1-USB-CO. After examining the result of IAPs strictly in the rural area of Guatemala, it was found that the IAPs from various microenvironments were higher than those from outdoor environments. A conclusion was drawn to explain the poor public health compared to the people who was living in lower level of particulate matter (PM) 2.5 or PM10, since long-term exposure to carbon monoxide and black carbon emissions from burning solid fuels could be one of the most critical factors to the minority of social welfare, especially for senior citizens, pregnant women, or young children. Hence, appropriate regulation or law for Indoor Air Pollution as well as widespread, steady education for public safety should be required to reach sustainable future growth.