The people of Mexico City call it nata, or scum. It is the sickly brown cloud that stubbornly hangs over the megalopolis, home to 23 million people. Composed primarily of carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone, the smog has made the winter of 1991 the most toxic in Mexico City history, triggering a 16% to 20% jump in the incidence of respiratory infections, nosebleeds and emphysema. Since September, the city has enjoyed only six days in which noxious gases did not exceed danger levels. "The atmosphere has no time to recuperate," says Homero Aridjis, president of the Group of...
Mexico City's Menacing Air
The shutdown of a refinery will only begin to curb a toxic cloud
Subscriber content preview.
or
Log-In
To continue reading:
or
Log-In