Anthropogenic air pollution began when human beings discovered and domesticated natural fire. Although much has occurred since then, humanity has not yet evolved to the appropriate level required to minimize the negative effects or reduce the emissions of polluting agents into the atmosphere, resulting in poor quality of the air we breathe.
The WHO – World Health Organization – estimates that air pollution is responsible worldwide for 1.4% of deaths and 0.8% of disability-adjusted life years. In the country, national statistics regarding medical consultations for respiratory problems are high, as are infant morbidity and mortality rates associated with this cause.
As in the rest of developing countries, the main sources of air pollution are associated with the use of biomass and coal for cooking or heating, as well as liquid fuels – domestic fuel oil and kerosene or paraffin – for heating and lighting purposes.
In Santo Domingo, the city with the largest population in the country, there is no air quality monitoring program, even though high levels of particulate matter have been detected in the atmosphere. This is related to respiratory conditions – such as acute bronchitis, for example –, which represent the main cause of death among children under five years of age. It is presumed that such particles are generated from vehicle emissions, energy generation – including the large number of private generators used to compensate for deficiencies in the national power system – and the burning of solid waste.
Within this context, it is valid to ask: Who is responsible? How can air pollution be prevented? Who is responsible for monitoring and enforcement?
The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources has taken action by issuing the corresponding technical standards in order to establish an adequate regulatory framework. Indeed, the Environmental Standard on Air Quality currently in force in the country establishes the maximum permissible concentration levels of pollutants, with the purpose of protecting the health of the general population and the most vulnerable groups. This regulation includes specific prohibitions, such as the open-air burning of solid waste and liquid waste or any other combustible material.
In the same regard, the country also has an Environmental Standard for the Control of Atmospheric Pollutant Emissions from Fixed Sources. This regulation establishes the maximum permissible levels of atmospheric emissions produced by fixed sources, serving as a control tool that contributes to achieving the standards established under the Air Quality Standard. It applies throughout the national territory to industries, commercial activities, projects, services, and any facility that, through its operations, generates pollutants that affect air quality.
Those responsible for complying with regulations aimed at preventing air pollution are all regulated entities that, through their activities, must ensure the implementation of all necessary measures to prevent emissions from fixed sources from exceeding the limits permitted under the applicable regulations. To verify compliance, the same enforcement authority, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, through its supervisory powers, must ensure that the provisions of the applicable standards are effectively observed. In the industrial sector, for example, this is carried out through periodic inspections and the review of Environmental Compliance Reports submitted for its consideration.
However, control and supervision efforts may always prove insufficient in the absence of a comprehensive plan that incorporates all productive sectors and all related institutions –such as AMET, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Environment, and Municipal Governments– with the objective of achieving lower air pollution levels and, consequently, a better quality of life throughout the national territory. Until such measures are implemented, the air we breathe will continue to represent a significant risk that affects the health of the population.
