Brazil: Residents struggle with unhealthy air quality - Video
Porto Velho, the capital of the Brazilian state of Rondônia in the upper Amazon River basin, is battling with hazardous air conditions as smoke from ongoing rainforest fires blankets the city.
A combination of severe drought and widespread forest fires has plunged the area into a thick, smoky haze, AFP reports.
The smoke has heavily impacted daily life in the city, with residents expressing their distress over the deteriorating air quality.
"This smoke is ruining our nostrils; it's hard to breathe," said Tayane Moraes, a 30-year-old teacher in Porto Velho. When asked about how she is coping, she added, "Drink lots of water, protect yourself, and turn on the humidifier at home, of course."
Carlos Fernandes, a 62-year-old retiree, attributes the worsening situation to fires being set in nearby rural areas. "We must avoid setting fires. We don't do it, but it's more in the rural areas where people are setting fire to pastures," he explained. "It's terrible; last night I woke up at midnight, and my eyes were burning from the smoke in the house."
For 35-year-old Beatriz Graca, it is those with respiratory illnesses that have to go through a lot during these times. "It's hard to deal with this smoke, it's even worse for people with respiratory problems,” she said.
Beatriz expressed that the conditions could be mitigated if there was rain, she added, “If God sends rain… It would be good for us to get some good rain and also for people to stop burning, it would help a lot."
According to IQ Air, a Swiss company specialising in monitoring air quality and airborne pollutants, Porto Velho’s pollution levels have been classified as "unhealthy" for the last four days.
The company reports that the concentration of PM2.5—particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometres, a highly dangerous pollutant that can penetrate the lungs and enter the bloodstream—is currently 21.8 times higher than the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommended annual air quality guideline.
