Manaus and five other municipalities in the Metropolitan Region recorded air quality considered “terrible” this Sunday morning (11). The capital of Amazonas is covered in smoke from forest fires for the fourth day in a row. In Manaus, 13 of the 15 sensors of the Electronic Environmental Surveillance System (Selva), at the State University of Amazonas (UEA), recorded air pollution levels above 140 µg/m³.
In the Coroado neighborhood, East Zone of Manaus, the concentration of particles suspended in the air reached 227.8µ g/m³ at 8 am. In Petrópolis, in the South Zone, the index was 211.7 µg/m³. In Tarumã, West Zone, the air quality was classified as “very bad”, with 91.4 µg/m³. According to system data, it was the only area of the capital in this category.
In the Metropolitan Region, the worst index was recorded in the municipality of Careiro, where the concentration of particles reached 301.2 µg/m³ at 8:20 am. At the same time, Borba recorded 220 µg/m³ and Autazes, 184.3 µg/m³.
In Itacoatiara, the index was 101.9 µg/m³, while in Silves it reached 76.8 µg/m³. In the last two municipalities, the air quality was considered “very bad”.
Manaus City Hall declared a state of attention on September 24, and the classification continues this Sunday. According to the municipal executive, the state of attention is adopted when one or more incidents affect the city and a high-impact event is expected in the short term.
In addition to the City Hall classification, Manaus was one of the 36 municipalities in Amazonas that had an emergency situation due to forest fires recognized by the Federal Government. The recognition was made by the Ministry of Integration and Regional Development (MIDR) on Saturday (10), the same day that the state of emergency was declared by the state.
The state decree covers municipalities in the Metropolitan Region of Manaus, southern Amazonas and other regions of the state. They are: Autazes, Careiro, Careiro da Várzea, Iranduba, Itacoatiara, Itapiranga, Manacapuru, Manaquiri, Manaus, Novo Airão, Presidente Figueiredo, Rio Preto da Eva, Silves, Apuí, Boca do Acre, Borba, Canutama, Humaitá, Lábrea, Manicoré, Novo Aripuanã, Pauini, Tapauá, Barreirinha, Boa Vista do Ramos, Caapiranga, Coari, Eirunepé, Envira, Guajará, Ipixuna, Maués, Nova Olinda do Norte, Parintins, Tefé, Urucurituba.
The first aircraft sent by the federal government to help combat forest fires in Amazonas arrived in Manaus this Saturday afternoon (10). Two helicopters from the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) landed at Eduardo Gomes International Airport around 1 pm, and four other planes landed at Manaus Air Base around 4 pm.
The personnel are part of the fleet of six aircraft sent by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MMA) to support the fight against fires in the state, as announced by the ministry on Thursday (9). The ministry also designated 290 brigade members.
The effects of smoke are also felt in health services. According to the State Department of Health of Amazonas (SES-AM), 82 people were treated in emergency services between October 1st and 8th for respiratory problems related to smoke inhalation. Since July 1, 375 emergency visits related to exposure to smoke have been recorded. In a survey released on Friday (9), the secretariat showed a significant increase in the number of registrations during the last week.
Reported symptoms include shortness of breath, cough, irritation or sore throat, headache, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and fatigue. The Municipal Health Department (Semsa) advises the population to observe signs such as burning, redness and watering of the eyes, runny nose, nasal congestion, wheezing and worsening asthma attacks. Dizziness, fatigue, vomiting and diarrhea can also indicate dehydration or worsening health problems. The secretariats' recommendation is to seek medical attention in the event of intense or persistent symptoms, especially in people with respiratory diseases.
