Abstract

Chile has experienced steady economic growth in the last thirteen years. The capital, Santiago (population: 5 million) concentrates 40-50% of this growth. Currently at Santiago, the car fleet is growing 7% per year, and total fuel consumption increases 10% annually. This scenario has led to serious air pollution problems. From 1988 till 1994 there was a modest reduction in ozone levels, and data for the 1994-1996 period indicate that the downward trend has stopped; high ozone impacts persist and photochemical pollution is again on the rise, driven by economic growth and lack of specific initiatives. A preliminary analysis indicates that the highest impacts are NOx-limited; hence NOx emission control strategies would be more effective in ozone attainment. Therefore, a comprehensive initiative is needed to reduce ozone levels to satisfactory levels on the long term.