Épsilon

12

Authors: Rodrigo Buitrago, Luis Carlos Belalcázar

The present study shows the lifecycle analysis (LCA) for the production chain of bioethanol as a fuel (E100) in Colombia, using the OpenLCA free software. Data from bibliographic references and emissions stock from the Ecoinvent V2.2 database was used in order to carry out the emissions stock for the present study. The Global Warming Potential (GWP) was quantified using the IPCC 2007 impact methodology, and the demand of non-renewable energy was quantified using the cumulative energy demand (CAE) method. The activity that represents the greatest contribution to GWP is the production of fertilizers and its release to the environment as they are used in agriculture. As for the CAE, the process with greatest demand corresponds to the preparation of land and the production of fertilizers.

15

Authors: Linda Victoria Ariza, María Alejandra Sánchez, Juan Felipe Franco

The purpose of the present pilot study was to determine the citizens’ perception of the impact of air quality in Bogota in the health and quality of life of the population. For this, a citizen perception survey instrument was designed and conducted in 4 neighborhoods of the city, selected according to their air pollution conditions. Each survey was made up of 23 questions; 50 surveys were conducted in each neighborhood, for a total of 200 surveys. In general, more than 80% of the surveyed population perceives poor air quality in the city and acknowledge the negative impacts of this problem. In all neighborhoods and socio-economical levels, more than 50% of the population believes public transportation is the main source of air pollution, which evidences the importance of this emission source due to its closeness to people. Likewise, results show that the empowerment of citizens towards the city’s air pollution problem is limited, as the majority of the population does not identify the authority in charge of this matter in the city and does not recognize follow-up and control actions. This is a key element, taking into account that citizen participation in public policy processes can lead to the generation of collective actions towards a better environmental condition in Bogota

16

Authors: Claudia Patricia Dávila Pinzón, Aura Liliana Rojas Pérez, Néstor Yezid Rojas Roa

The purpose of the project was to estimate the emission of criteria pollutants generated by mobile sources in the Bogota-Facatativá road, using a bottom-up approach, for the vehicle fleet registered and quantified in the second semester of 2012, categorized in light vehicles, buses, trucks and motorcycles. Two methods of emission estimation were used: the IVE model and emission factors obtained in route for Bogota. Both methods show that the CO emissions mostly come from light vehicles and trucks, whereas NOX and PM mainly come from buses and trucks. The emission values are significantly different between the two estimation models, which suggests the need to refine the emission factors.

26

Authors: Diana Marcela Romero Cárdenas, Hugo Sarmiento Vela, Jorge E. Pachón

The present research assessed the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and heavy metals resulting from the burning of sugar cane in the Cauca River valley. For this purpose, a subset of 240 samples was considered, integrated over 24 hours, of particulate matter of less than 10 microns (PM10), collected from October 2010 to February 2011 in the villages of Bolo San Isidro (highly exposed zone) and Ricaurte (control zone) located in the municipalities of Palmira and Bolivar. A chemical characterization related to the identification of HAPs belonging to the list of priority contaminants of the United States Environmental Protection Agency was carried out for part of the subset, following EPA T0-13A. In addition, the chemical characterization of metal compounds in 108 of these samples carried out was taken into account, in accordance with the EPA IO-3.1 method. The application of the principal components analysis (PCA), the factorial analysis with varimax rotation and a series of statistical correlations allowed the identification of the possible metals and PAH tracers of the burning of sugar cane. Results of the study show that the PAH associated with the PM10 originated in the Cauca River valley, possibly attributed to the burning of sugar cane in the high exposure zone, are: Pyr, Phe, and Flt, whereas the metals associated directly and indirectly with this source of emission are: Fe, Mn, Si and Cu.

28

Authors: Jorge E. Pachón

The Colombian Congress and International Conference on Air Quality and Public Health (CASAP) is the most important event in the country in regards to air pollution, a problem that represents high costs to the Colombian society, represented in morbidity and mortality episodes. The CASAP brings together scholars, researchers and public policy managers from around the country, making it a sample of the current level of investigation related to air quality (and related topics) and an opportunity to identify new fields of action. The document presents an assessment of the research on air quality in the country and some themes for consideration, with the aim to provide ideas that allow moving towards a comprehensive system for air quality management that guarantees a resource of adequate conditions for society at large.