Abstract

Between April and August the city of Santiago, Chile, has unfavorable meteorological conditions for air pollutant dispersion. Twenty four hour average of PM10 concentration often reaches values > 150 ?g/cu m. For this reason, a daily forecast of PM10 has become a useful reference for the city authorities and the population. According to the value of the maximum of the 24 hr moving average of PM10 (maxP) the day is classified as a class A day if maxP < 195 ?g/cu m, class B when 195 ?g/cu m ? maxP < 240 ?g/cu m or class C, if maxP ? 240 ?g/cu m. On class B days, 40% of the motor vehicles without catalytic converter cannot circulate. On class C days, 60% of vehicles without catalytic converter and 20% of those with catalytic converter are not allowed to circulate. On class C days, a number of industries identified as pollutant emitters are enforced to stop operation. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the 100th Annual Conference and Exhibition of the Air and Waste Management Association (Pittsburgh, PA 6/26-29/2007).