Análisis de partículas sedimentables y niveles de presión sonora en el área urbana y periférica de Cuenca

Abstract

Air pollution and noise generated by transport in urban areas are public health risk environmental factors. Particulate matter emitted by those sources is related with development of cardiopulmonary diseases, cancer and alterations at genetic level. In the same context, elevated noise levels are related to the generation of cognitive transtorns and stress production. Ecuador environmental law use sedimentable particulate matter as a criterion for air quality. It stablishes a maximum limit of 1 mg* cm-2*day-1, likewise limits for noise according land use. Present study focuses on determining particulate matter concentrations and monitoring of noise in high traffic hours in the central and peripheric urban zone of Cuenca city. After this, no accomplishment of stablished limits for both atmospheric pollutants were determined. Also, a relation between sedimentable particulate matter and noise was analized, and finally, the variation of particulate matter concentrations and noise levels regarding land use was studied.