Abstract

ROJAS-LEMUS, Marcela et al. Vanadium: Atmospheric exposure, health effects and normativity in Mexico. Rev. Int. Contam. Ambient [online]. 2024, vol.40, 54869.  Epub Aug 12, 2024. ISSN 0188-4999.  https://doi.org/10.20937/rica.54869.

Air pollution is a major global problem. Among the most important environmental pollutants is particulate matter, which has been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a human carcinogen within Group 1. Toxicologically relevant components such as metals are added to suspended particulate matter, which is at least partly responsible for the adverse effects of particulate matter on organisms. One of the metals present in particulate matter is vanadium, which is found as an abundant trace element in Mexican petroleum and is emitted into the atmosphere mainly by burning its derivatives, such as gasoline. However, although vanadium is present in the atmosphere, its concentrations are not monitored since neither vanadium nor any other metal are considered criteria pollutants. Therefore, the objective of this work is to give visibility to this element as a ubiquitous pollutant attached to suspended particles, which represents a potential danger to the health of the inhabitants of polluted cities such as the Metropolitan Zone of the Valley of Mexico; and, on the other hand, to emphasize the near absence of regulations in Mexico on metal pollution, since vanadium is only one example.

Keywords : atmospheric pollution; metals; Mexican regulations.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )