A study carried out by The Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE) for the Climate Change Direction of the Costa Rican Ministry of Environment and Energie (MINAE), established that if the concentrations of contaminating particles in the air where within the limit established by the Word Health Organization, not only would the health and quality of life of the population experience many benefits, but the county would also save over US$17 million that are currently spent in the attention of different health conditions directly related to the quality of the air.

Asthma and bronchitis are just two of the illnesses that can originate from air pollution. According to the World Health Organization, “air pollution is a major environmental risk to health. By reducing air pollution levels, countries can reduce the burden of disease from stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and both chronic and acute respiratory diseases, including asthma”‘ Francisco Alpizar, director of the investigation for CATIE, explained they wanted to study the effects of air contamination in health and quantify it in financial terms.

The main air-quality pollutant in the country are those generated by car emissions; a cloud of these emissions contains thousands of particles which enter our system through our nose or mouth and stay in our thorax which can generally lead to allergies, bronchitis, asthma and other respiratory affections.

The team focused on studying the PM10 particles, which are composed by dust, soot, concrete and chemical emissions from different gases. Other particles like the PM 2.5 which are smaller in size are even more dangerous since they can reach other smaller areas of the respiratory system, but Costa Rica does not have the technology to measure PM2.5 particles.

The recommended limit established by the WHO is of 20 micrometers per cubic meter; however, Costa Rica takes the limits established by the European Union as reference which sets a maximum limit of 40 micrometers per cubic meter; as alarming as it sounds even when taking the limit established by the E.U. certain areas of Costa Rica’s Great Metropolitan Area like La Ribera de Belén registered 55 micrometers per cubic meter. The center of Heredia reached 45 micrometers per cubic meter and Río Segundo in Alajuela 41 micrometers per cubic meter.

The areas of the Great Metropolitan Area that registered less PM10 particles were: San Vicente de Moravia; Santo Domingo de Heredia and Zapote in San José.

This data was used to calculate the financial effects this represents considering the treatment of health problems, hospitalizations, sick leaves, disabilities, mortality etc.

“The environment has a huge ability to recover, but we must work on it. It requires the involvement of all public policies. Costa Rica is a country that has achieved a lot of progress when it comes to regulating fuels. The air contamination caused by car emissions has also dropped since it is being regulated by RITEVE”, mentioned Alpizar to daily paper La Nación.

“The country also needs to work desperately on improving the public transportation systems”, concluded Alpizar.

The WHO recommends for air pollution originating from transportation: “shifting to clean modes of power generation; prioritizing rapid urban transit, walking and cycling networks in cities as well as rail interurban freight and passenger travel; shifting to cleaner heavy duty diesel vehicles and low-emissions vehicles and fuels, including fuels with reduced sulfur content”.