The air in the capital Manaus was classified as the most polluted in Brazil this Wednesday, the 28th. Data obtained through real-time monitoring on the global platform IQAir placed the Amazonian capital at the top of the national ranking for poor air quality, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 148, a level considered harmful to sensitive groups.
According to the monitoring, the concentration of pollutants in the city reached 54.8 µg/m³. This atmospheric contamination poses a serious environmental and public health alert, affecting residents of the capital and various riverside localities in the state's interior.
Additionally, the Environmental Surveillance Electronic System (Selva), belonging to the State University of Amazonas (UEA), also signaled a deterioration in air quality. Around 6:20 AM, monitored points in the capital showed indices classified as 'poor' and 'very poor,' with particle concentration reaching 81.8 µg/m³ in one of these locations, in the Morro da Liberdade neighborhood.
For reference, Selva considers air quality good when particle concentration remains between 0 and 25 µg/m³. Above this limit, indicators are categorized on scales ranging from moderate to very bad, depending on the system used.
Inland cities record pollution
Air degradation is not limited to the capital, severely affecting other municipalities in Amazonas. Real Selva stations reported high levels of harmful particles spread throughout the state's interior:
- Iranduba: Showed a concentration of 106.5 µg/m³, placing it among the most severe conditions in the state.
- Maués: Registered 88.4 µg/m³ of fine suspended particles in the air.
- Itacoatiara: Reached 73.4 µg/m³, maintaining its air quality classified between 'poor' and 'very poor.'
- Urucurituba: Pointed to 60.2 µg/m³, which also demonstrates a strong compromise of breathable levels.
Fires in Pará may carry smoke to Amazonas
In a statement made on Monday, the 26th, the governor of Amazonas, Roberto Cidade, warned that the fires occurring in southern Pará have the potential to transport smoke to the state in the coming hours. He informed that the fire hotspots are mainly concentrated in the area of Itaituba, located near the border between the two states.
During a press conference, Cidade mentioned that the government of Amazonas plans to establish contact with the government of Pará to discuss strategies for containing the fires. The governor emphasized that, although the arrival of smoke is not immediate, it could reach Amazonas within two to three days.
He stated: 'A large part of where the fires are happening is in southern Pará, it is there in Itaituba, on the border with our state, there in Lower Amazonas. We are already working so that we can do our part here in our state, but I will also ask with our team to contact the government of Pará.'
