Chile Forum

patagoniax wrote:

wiscondinavian wrote:

... I'm not sure if that actually helps, but I like to think it does.

You already know the answer to your question, but are unwilling to take the step, even to save your health and life. This is not unusual.

We all make poor choices that affect our health every day. Exercising too much, not exercising enough. Eating too much, not eating enough. Sitting down all day, standing up all day. Eating high fructose corn syrup, eating artificial sweeteners. Too much stress. Flying in airplanes frequently (omigod cancerrrrr). Whatever.

My choice is to stay in Santiago for the next few years while my fiance finishes university. I'd rather be in Podunk, Kansas, but whatever. I'm sucking it up for a couple years. Any real advice? Because you really only seem to have 2 modes: useful advice and spiteful old fart. Get over yourself.

W, look into broken cell wall chlorella. Been taking it for years for different reasons - a valuable supplement to a good health regimen. (Google "chlorella pollution")
Just be sure to obtain from a stellar source. (i.e., Japanese sources/radiation) Send me a PM if you need more info.

You have an excellent reason to be in Stgo and "sucking it up" (!) for a few years. I would do the same under the circumstances. However, the pollution here is a serious health hazard. Px may have been blunt, but he's correct. Don't shoot the messenger. You (again, I would too) choose to risk your health by staying.
Adjusting to dysfunction is a compromise, albeit in your situation, noble.
Mitigating the problem with a good air filter, plants, supplements, etc. is better than taking no action, but is no guarantee. This level of pollution is not to be taken lightly.

patagoniax wrote:Vehicle restrictions for plates ending in 9, 0, 1, and 2 . Burning restrictions, recommendations about restricting outdoor activities, the usual.

I see little or no enforcement of other road rules (e.g. running/jumping red lights, speaking on mobile phones).
Do the Carabineros (or anyone else) even enforce the vehicle restrictions related to air pollution?

Are there air pollution restrictions in any other parts of the country besides Santiago (obviously based upon their respective air quality)?
If so, what are the URLs of government websites which document them? I will put them on the wiki.
(I will dig out the URL of the Santiago vehicle restrictions webpage from the similar thread ~1 year ago.)

What is the current PM10 level for Santiago? I have searched and only came up with years 200 & 2007. I did mange to find a webpage that had the data but was unable to gain access because I lacked proper "credencials" I guess they just dont let anyone have that info.

Note that I am only referring to the validated data from the currently approved monitoring stations. There are also "unvalidated" data from the stations at Puente Alto, Talagante, and Quilicura.

Is it at all possible that the validated data can/could be cooked? What causes data to be unvalidated?

Anecdote: My eyes are burning pretty good. Took me all day to realize it's due to the pollution. And I'm in an area that has relatively lower ug/m3.

Pre-emergencia today. If your license plate ends in 5 or 6 you cannot take it on the road between 7:30 am and 9 pm.

I bought three HEPA filters from Sodimac at the start of the winter, one in the living room, one in our bedroom (with our two month old baby) and one for our daughter´s room. I have basically run them day and night since April.

The impact on my electricity bill hasn't been as bad as I thought and anyway, with two young kids in the house, I don't care.

I use this website for air quality, not sure if there is a better one.
http://www.emol.com/guia_servicios/_portada/index.asp

patagoniax where do you get the information showing the maximum levels in a give period of the day you quoted earlier?

Thanks greenjumpa. I hope others can collaborate about their usage too.

...and this is why we are willing to sacrifice to live in Chicureo. You literally drive through the brown blanket of smog to get up here and breath. I have not heard of any pollution reports regarding the area but the air quality is definitely better. The Santiaguinos regard this area as far, far away It is not. You do need a car to live here and you will pay up the arse in tolls strategically placed every 10k (or so it feels that way). There are busses that commute between here and Vespucio Norte but the majority show up at 10:00 am and 6:00 pm for the construction workers and nanas. So far they have all reported a minimum commute (via bus) of 2 hours one way. So again, if you like your lungs but must work in Santiago, Chicureo is a good option.