Concentración de metales pesados en la sede central de la USTA, Bogotá

Abstract

Air pollution in Bogotá is one of the major problems that affect health of the population. The most important pollutant is particulate matter according to the Bogota Air Quality Monitoring Network (BAQMN); along with this contaminant, elements such as heavy metals can be found attached, many of which exhibit a long-term toxic effect. Taking into account the presence of these elements in the air of Bogotá and that there are no studies within the area surrounding Santo Tomás University, the present investigation intends to carry out the determination of 12 heavy metals with toxic characteristics that are found in the central headquarters of the University. For monitoring, a Hi-Vol equipment will be used that will use Quartz filters; monitoring will be carried out from Monday to Sunday in the month of February 2023, for a period of 24 hours each day. Metal analysis will be carried out using the ICP-OES (Inductively Página 2 de 7 Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry) method. Results of the study will be compared with national and international air quality regulations. The findings of this work increases knowledge about other air pollutants that in periods of chronic exposure are the cause of different pathologies and they are not monitored by the BAQMN. This information will be an important input for the generation of policies or activities of control and prevention by the District Health and Environment Secretariats of Bogotá.