HAVANA, Cuba, (ACN) – The Cuban Network of Nuclear Communicators (REDNUC) praised the results of a workshop to launch a new project entitled Strengthening of national capacities for the monitoring, evaluation and management of air quality and its impact on human health and ecosystems.
The initiative will use nuclear and isotopic techniques and the recently concluded meeting was attended by researchers and specialists from the Cienfuegos Center for Environmental Studies (CEAC by its Spanish acronym), according to REDNUC.
It added that the deterioration of air quality due to the release of particulate matter (a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets) in suspension is one of the greatest concerns worldwide.
In the case of Cuba, where the study of this type of contamination is a highly challenging issue for researchers, due to the fact that there are still technical and analytical limitations to carry out monitoring programs.
In this regard, biologist Gleisy Perez Avilleira, an aspiring CEAC researcher and head of the project, said that its purpose is to strengthen national capacities for monitoring, evaluation and management of air quality at the national level.
To fulfill its mission, it focuses on the creation and implementation for the first time of an Air Quality Station in Cienfuegos to monitor particulate matter and gases, which will make possible the development of monitoring and evaluation programs, she specified.
The results of the project will be the basis for developing future studies on air quality and the origin of pollutants throughout the country, she added.
The new project is financed by the Agency of Nuclear Energy and Advanced Technologies and its predecessor is the State Service Study of Atmospheric Pollution in Cienfuegos, developed by CEAC, which has supported air pollution studies in recent years in the province.
