Determinación de los niveles de presión sonora y material particulado (PM10, PM2,5 y sedimentable) en el aire ambiente de bloqueras artesanales presentes en el área urbana del cantón Cuenca

Abstract

The civil construction activity has generated the emission of various pollutants into the atmosphere, especially in the areas where the factories that manufacture the materials used in this activity (blocks, bricks, paving stones, among others) are located. The objective of this research is to evaluate the ambient air quality of six artisanal block factories located in the urban area of Cuenca’s canton, by determining the sound pressure level and the concentrations of particulate matter (PTS, PM10 and PM2,5). For the study of sedimentable particulate matter, the gravimetric method was used by collecting particles in open containers; for the analysis of PM10 and PM2,5 concentrations, the Partisol 2000i low-flow equipment was used; finally, a CENTER 390 Data Logger sound level meter was used to determine sound pressure levels. Using SPSS software, the PM10 and PM2,5 concentrations obtained were related to variables such as temperature, precipitation, wind speed and atmospheric pressure; maps of sedimentable particulate matter, PM10, PM2,5 and noise concentrations were elaborated using Arcgis 10.5 software. Finally, surveys were administered to blockhouse workers to determine possible conditions associated with the results of the pollutant concentrations and sound pressure levels registered in the study. The monitoring was carried out during the months of November and December 2020. For noise monitoring, the sampling time was 1 hour. The monitoring time for PM10 and PM2,5 was 4h for each parameter. According to the results obtained, the concentrations of PTS, PM10, PM2,5 and noise levels, in most monitoring points, exceeded the maximum permissible limits of their respective regulations; it was observed that PM10 and PM2,5 concentrations are independent of meteorological variables. Finally, the analysis of the surveys shows a relationship between the symptoms reported by the workers and the concentrations of the pollutants recorded.