Keywords
demolition and health risks
urban health
air quality
How to Cite
Abstract
Construction and renovation works are one of the major sources of environmental pollution in urban areas, particularly during the demolition phase. A significant increase in particles, especially PM10, and exhaust gases from the diesel motors of the vehicles used for carrying material and equipment is observed during this kind of work. It is important to take pollutant emission minimization measures to prevent this pollution. Thus, it was proposed that project developers introduce an Air Quality Self-Control Plan that envisages, first of all, the assessment of those areas that will be most greatly affected and have the highest population sensitivity in order to estimate what the most unfavorable winds will be therein and, secondly, the monitoring of the environmental conditions and determination of the maximum levels of pollutant emission/immission.
The Air Quality Self-Monitoring Plan introduced for the demolition works of the Vicente Calderón Stadium —the former home of the Atlético de Madrid soccer club— is presented herein as a strategy model for preventing the effects of this kind of actions on ambient air quality and, consequently, reducing their impact on the health of the exposed population, as well as in terms of the transparency of the actions of public administrations.
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