Lima certainly has its charms—among them the Plaza de Armas, with its stately palms and ornate colonial buildings. But what’s decidedly not charming is the air. The Peruvian capital ranks with Mexico City, Santiago and São Paulo as one of Latin America’s most polluted cities. More than 400 airborne toxins ranging from sulfur to lead have been identified, 11 of them carcinogens. Monitoring last year by the Municipality of Lima indicates the average annual concentration of particulates smaller than 10 microns is approximately 120 micrograms per cubic meter, nearly double the limit recommended by the World Health Organization. “Air contamination in Lima is extremely severe. The data we have suggests that the number of air quality emergencies in Lima [would be] on the order... [Log in to read more]
