11/09/2024 – 21:42
The City of São Paulo announced on Wednesday, the 11th, that it has created an inter-secretariat crisis committee and defined a series of measures to address the decline in air quality. Among the actions, the municipal administration said it will allocate resources to purchase air humidifiers for schools located in neighborhoods with lower air humidity levels.
– Equipment will be provided for the regions of Parish of Ó, Brasilândia, Casa Verde, Cachoeirinha, Vila Medeiros, São Lucas, Sapopemba, São Rafael, M’Boi Mirim and Jardim Ângela.
The city has been recording low levels of air quality throughout the week. For the third day in a row, the capital of São Paulo was among the worst in comparison with other major cities in the world, a situation aggravated by dry weather, fires and pollution lingering over the region.
With a focus on the elderly, the municipal administration said, the administration will also release an extraordinary budget of R$5 million to reinforce the equipment for providing assistance to this age group, “in addition to increasing the stocks of saline solution in the health units”.
The City Hall highlighted that since Sunday, the capital has had ten tents for Operation High Temperatures set up at strategic points in the five regions of the city. “Open between 10 am and 4 pm, citizens have access to water, teas, cold juices and fruits. There is also space for assistance and guidance to citizens regarding the necessary care for pets on days of intense heat. (See the addresses of the tents below).”
On August 7, a contingency plan for low humidity situations was implemented. The document, adds the municipal administration, reinforces the role of different municipal organizations in assisting the population in dealing with low air humidity.
“In addition, health recommendations will be intensified with specific protocols for hot periods in public facilities, mitigating the impacts caused by low air humidity. The committee will be mobilized whenever the thermometers reach 32ºC.”
The City Hall said it will send 6 million SMS messages with warnings about the precautions that the population should take during this period of low air humidity.
The municipal administration also stated that it invests in a 24-hour monitoring system for municipal parks to prevent fires and burnings.
Guidelines on dry days
On drier days, it is necessary to be careful, because in addition to the increase in the levels of pollutants dispersed in the air, low humidity can have direct and indirect effects on human health, as highlighted by the City Hall.
The most common symptoms related to low humidity are: dry mucous membranes that can cause allergic and respiratory complications, an increase in pre-existing respiratory diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, rhinitis and emphysema, nosebleeds, sneezing, coughing and difficulty breathing. Dry skin, eye irritation with redness, burning, itching and an increase in allergic conjunctivitis may also occur.
When air humidity is below 30%, some measures can be adopted to reduce health impacts, reinforces the municipal administration:
Avoid outdoor exercise;
Humidify the environment using vaporizers, wet towels and/or containers with water;
Stay in ventilated places protected from the sun;
Hydrate yourself more frequently;
Use saline solution in the nostrils;
Use eye lubricating solution;
Avoid crowds.
Tent Addresses
Central Region – Republic Square and Marechal Deodoro Square
Southern Region – Santo Amaro (Floriano Peixoto Square x Paulo Eiró Street) and Socorro Chapel (José Boemer Roschel Square)
Northern Region – Santana (FEB Heroes Square, s/n) and Vila Maria (New World Square)
Eastern Region – Guaianases (President Getúlio Vargas Square, s/n); Itaquera (Dr. Luiz Ayres Street, s/n, next to the Itaquera subway station); and Mooca (Cid José da Silva Campanella Square)
West Region – Lapa (Rua do Curtume, s/n – corner with Guaicurus)
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