Under a torrid 40 degrees Celsius, the
Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro woke up on December 25 under a white
blanket. Only it was not snow - it was a mysterious white soot-like dust
which entered people's apartments and caused allergies. The authorities
still do not know what caused it... could there be a serious health
risk?
The official data available can be
summarized by a white soot-like dust which descended on several areas of
the city of Rio de Janeiro early on the morning of Christmas Day. Eye
witnesses described the phenomenon as being like snowflakes falling. The
dust settled mainly in the southern areas of the city such as Lagoa,
Copacabana, Ipanema, Botafogo, Laranjeiras, Largo do Machado and Glória,
in the Centre, Tijuca (North) and Recreio (West).
Eye witnesses declare that it is a fine
white powder which entered apartments and in some cases caused
allergies. The Brazilian environmental authorities are still
investigating the causes of the event.
Some commentators postulate that the microparticles could have come from the volcanic eruption in Chile.
In 2010, the States of Rio de Janeiro
and São Paulo set up stations to monitor a similar phenomenon of white
microparticles which invaded the cities and which at the time considered
as a serious health risk. At the time the blame was placed on the
incomplete burning process of fossil fuels used by vehicles and which
were, in 2010, declared to be responsible for 77% of the air pollution
in the Metropolitan Area of Rio de Janeiro.
The nature of this substance was of
particular concern to the authorities because it was four times smaller
(at 0.0025 mm.) than the size of microparticles which were considered
dangerous and for this reason the particles penetrate very deeply into
the human respiratory system. Such particles have been linked by some
experts also to heart attacks and cancer.
If the microparticles which spread out
over Rio de Janeiro on Christmas Day are of the same origin, then a
public health alert may be in order.
Juan Blanco
26/12/12
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