Abstract

The aim of this study was to develop a knowledge diagnosis and assessment of high school students in relation to air pollution by particulate matter. The research is a descriptive cross-sectional survey study. The analysis was performed by means of a lexicon and a test was applied to a sample group of high school students. Very low levels of knowledge were detected in both institutions, and the school in the commune of Talca showed higher values compared to the district of La Molina. 68% of students in both districts claimed they had never addressed the issue in class, and admitted that informal education (86% in Talca and 78% in Molina) was their most relevant source of knowledge on the subject, naming open TV and internet as their most important sources. It can be concluded that both institutions show decreasing values regarding the degree of knowledge of air pollution by particulate matter. These results suggest the need for the development of educational policies in order to improve the knowledge level of both communes.