Controls on air quality made by the Board show no health risks
The Ministry will soon launch other measurements in the quarry area to examine businesses
July 16, 2008 .-
The Ministry of Environment, responsible for air quality in Andalusia, carried out through EGMASA, the Board’s own environmental company, a series of checks between 24.04.08 and 08.05.08 to measure performance on quality air. To that end, installed three monitoring teams located in different parts of the municipality. Specifically, in inhabited areas, roof of the Consistorial Town Hall building (Urban area), water deposit "Barquín" (south side of town) and plot in Mijas street (Pines of Alhaurín) place near the quarry area.
There are two types of measurements made by the Ministry. The first relates to PM10, microscopic particles that can affect health (sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, lead, benzene and carbon monoxide) which must not exceed 50 μ g/m3, more of 35 times a year. These particles shed a value on average during these days, 31, 25 and 31 μ g/m3 respectively, in each of the three sites.
The results obtained for sediment particles, those that are not breathable or inhalable, but they only dirty, and whose values can not exceed 300 μ g/m3, are lower than this amount both at the site of the council and in the pit Barquín. However, it exceeded in Alhaurín de Pinos (340 μ g/m3) this value, although the Board's report specifies quote: "Some of these particles that are characterized by the intrusion of he Saharan Calima and Royal Decree 1073/2002 do not set limits for this type of particle sedimentation."
However, the Ministry of Environment reported that " will proceed during July and August this year, a program of inspections to mining and rock crushing of the area and according to the data obtained during these inspections , a number of corrective and protective measures designed to control their emissions into the atmosphere may be determined for such activities. "
With these inspections undertaken it is concluded that there is no health risk in respect of air quality and to recall also that this has remained controversial for many years within the municipal groups seeking meters for fixed particles. However, this measure carried out by the Ministry has taken place at the request of the Department of Environment and also thanks to the application and efforts undertaken separately by the Socialist Municipal Group of the council.
