Text: Carol Lamar (Translation: Natália Juliano)
The Amazon is not the world’s lung, but it produces approximately 10% of the total oxygen generated by terrestrial life and is considered the most diverse ecosystem on the planet. The consequences of the significant increase in ecological imbalance are felt throughout Brazil. A notable example occurred on August 19, 2019, when dark clouds covered the capital of São Paulo state. This was not merely a recurring phenomenon caused by the cold front typical of Brazil’s Southeast region; the clouds also carried particles from wildfires burning in the North
Although the Amazon is not the largest contributor to the planet’s oxygen production, it plays a crucial role in climate regulation. According to the Brazilian Ministry of Environment, the forest is Brazil’s largest biome and contains one-third of the world’s tropical wood. The Amazon helps regulate global temperatures by promoting rainfall in highly productive regions, as explained by Professor Henrique Mews, Coordinator of the Graduate Program in Ecology and Natural Resource Management at the Federal University of Acre (Ufac).
However, the forest is being severely damaged due to increased incentives that encourage wildfires and the weakening of public policies aimed at protecting nature. According to the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), the number of wildfires in 2019 was the highest in eight years, with 30,900 hotspots recorded in August alone—three times the number reported in the same period in 2018. These wildfires are entirely caused by human activity. According to Professor Mews, the wildfires are directly linked to deforestation in the Amazon, since the forest is typically humid and spontaneous wildfires are virtually nonexistent.
“Natural wildfires are more common in ecosystems that have historically and evolutionarily adapted to fire, such as savannas. The Amazon forest, however, is not naturally adapted to fire, so wildfires there are always caused by human activity,” explains the professor.
Although the Amazon is not the largest contributor to the planet’s oxygen production, it plays a crucial role in climate regulation. According to the Brazilian Ministry of Environment, the forest is Brazil’s largest biome and contains one-third of the world’s tropical wood. The Amazon helps regulate global temperatures by promoting rainfall in highly productive regions, as explained by Professor Henrique Mews, Coordinator of the Graduate Program in Ecology and Natural Resource Management at the Federal University of Acre (Ufac).
However, the forest is being severely damaged due to increased incentives that encourage wildfires and the weakening of public policies aimed at protecting nature. According to the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), the number of wildfires in 2019 was the highest in eight years, with 30,900 hotspots recorded in August alone—three times the number reported in the same period in 2018. These wildfires are entirely caused by human activity. According to Professor Mews, the wildfires are directly linked to deforestation in the Amazon, since the forest is typically humid and spontaneous wildfires are virtually nonexistent.
“Natural wildfires are more common in ecosystems that have historically and evolutionarily adapted to fire, such as savannas. The Amazon forest, however, is not naturally adapted to fire, so wildfires there are always caused by human activity,” explains the professor.
The graph shows data on days without rain and wildfire occurrences for the periods 2016–2018 and 2019.
Data published in the article “Fire in the Amazon (Fogo na Amazônia)” by the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM) show an increase in the occurrence of fire hotspots. However, this rise is not related to the drought period, which was shorter in 2019 compared to years with more severe dry seasons, such as 2005. The number of rainless days up to August 14, 2019, ranged from 11 to 29 days, compared to over 30 days without rain reported during the same period between 2016 and 2018. This indicates that, despite more frequent rainfall, human activity is driving the increase in wildfires.
The Alert is Broadcasting:
In June 2019, over 30 air quality monitoring sensors were installed throughout the state of Acre in partnership with the State Public Ministry and the State Secretary of Environment. Live results can be accessed on the PurpleAir website, a real-time air quality monitoring system that utilizes data from the Air Quality Index (AQI) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The AQI uses a scale from 0 to 500, where 0 indicates satisfactory air quality and 500 indicates catastrophic air quality, implying severe health risks. The index categorizes air quality into color-coded groups: green, yellow, orange, red, purple, and maroon. Currently, the sensors in Rio Branco are indicating red, indicating high risks to anyone exposed—especially the elderly, children, and people with respiratory conditions.
The World Health Organization (WHO) monitors particulate matter (PM) in the air, which varies between PM10 and PM2.5. PM levels indicate air quality and reflect the presence of substances such as sulfate, nitrate, ammonia, sodium chloride, carbon, mineral dust, and water.
Particulate matter with a diameter equal to or smaller than 10 micrometers (PM10) infiltrates and settles in the human lungs. However, particulate matter with a diameter equal to or smaller than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) can penetrate the bloodstream. Chronic exposure to these smaller particles can lead to cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer.
On September 17th, 2019, data from the sensor installed at the headquarters of the State Public Ministry, located in downtown Rio Branco, indicated that the concentration of suspended particles in the air reached 66 micrograms per cubic meter. Exposure to this level of pollution for 24 hours would affect everyone, with members of risk groups likely to suffer severe health consequences.
In June 2019, over 30 air quality monitoring sensors were installed throughout the state of Acre in partnership with the State Public Ministry and the State Secretary of Environment. Live results can be accessed on the PurpleAir website, a real-time air quality monitoring system that utilizes data from the Air Quality Index (AQI) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The AQI uses a scale from 0 to 500, where 0 indicates satisfactory air quality and 500 indicates catastrophic air quality, implying severe health risks. The index categorizes air quality into color-coded groups: green, yellow, orange, red, purple, and maroon. Currently, the sensors in Rio Branco are indicating red, indicating high risks to anyone exposed—especially the elderly, children, and people with respiratory conditions.
The World Health Organization (WHO) monitors particulate matter (PM) in the air, which varies between PM10 and PM2.5. PM levels indicate air quality and reflect the presence of substances such as sulfate, nitrate, ammonia, sodium chloride, carbon, mineral dust, and water.
Particulate matter with a diameter equal to or smaller than 10 micrometers (PM10) infiltrates and settles in the human lungs. However, particulate matter with a diameter equal to or smaller than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) can penetrate the bloodstream. Chronic exposure to these smaller particles can lead to cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer.
On September 17th, 2019, data from the sensor installed at the headquarters of the State Public Ministry, located in downtown Rio Branco, indicated that the concentration of suspended particles in the air reached 66 micrograms per cubic meter. Exposure to this level of pollution for 24 hours would affect everyone, with members of risk groups likely to suffer severe health consequences.
Data taken from the PurpleAir website on September 17, 2019. The graph reflects the air quality data for that day.
References
Beer, C., Reichstein, M., Tomelleri, E., Ciais, P., Jung, M., Carvalhais, N., … Papale, D. (2010). Terrestrial gross carbon dioxide uptake: Global distribution and covariation with climate. Science, 329(5993), 834–838. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1184984
Folha de São Paulo. (2019, August). Satellites show invasion of ‘smoke river’ from wildfires over São Paulo. Retrieved September 17, 2019, from https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/ambiente/2019/08/satelites-mostram-invasao-de-rio-de-fumaca-de-queimadas-sobre-sao-paulo.shtml
Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais - República Federativa do Brasil. (2019). Burn database. Retrieved September 17, 2019, from http://queimadas.dgi.inpe.br/queimadas/bdqueimadas
Malhi, Y. (n.d.). Does the Amazon provide 20% of our oxygen? Retrieved September 17, 2019, from http://www.yadvindermalhi.org/blog/does-the-amazon-provide-20-of-our-oxygen
Ministério do Meio Ambiente - República Federativa do Brasil. (2019). Amazon. Retrieved September 17, 2019, from https://www.mma.gov.br/biomas/amaz%C3%B4nia.html
Nobre, A. D. (2014). O futuro climático da Amazônia: relatório de avaliação científica [The climate future of the Amazon: scientific assessment report]. São José dos Campos, SP: ARA: CCST-INPE: INPA.
PurpleAir. (2019). PurpleAir: Real time air quality monitoring. Retrieved September 17, 2019, from https://www.purpleair.com/map#6.42/-9.383/-71.082
Silvério, D., et al. (2019). Amazon on fire: Technical note from the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM). Retrieved September 17, 2019, from https://ipam.org.br/bibliotecas/nota-tecnica-amazonia-em-chamas/
World Health Organization. (2019). Ambient (outdoor) air quality and health. Retrieved September 17, 2019, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ambient-(outdoor)-air-quality-and-health
Beer, C., Reichstein, M., Tomelleri, E., Ciais, P., Jung, M., Carvalhais, N., … Papale, D. (2010). Terrestrial gross carbon dioxide uptake: Global distribution and covariation with climate. Science, 329(5993), 834–838. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1184984
Folha de São Paulo. (2019, August). Satellites show invasion of ‘smoke river’ from wildfires over São Paulo. Retrieved September 17, 2019, from https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/ambiente/2019/08/satelites-mostram-invasao-de-rio-de-fumaca-de-queimadas-sobre-sao-paulo.shtml
Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais - República Federativa do Brasil. (2019). Burn database. Retrieved September 17, 2019, from http://queimadas.dgi.inpe.br/queimadas/bdqueimadas
Malhi, Y. (n.d.). Does the Amazon provide 20% of our oxygen? Retrieved September 17, 2019, from http://www.yadvindermalhi.org/blog/does-the-amazon-provide-20-of-our-oxygen
Ministério do Meio Ambiente - República Federativa do Brasil. (2019). Amazon. Retrieved September 17, 2019, from https://www.mma.gov.br/biomas/amaz%C3%B4nia.html
Nobre, A. D. (2014). O futuro climático da Amazônia: relatório de avaliação científica [The climate future of the Amazon: scientific assessment report]. São José dos Campos, SP: ARA: CCST-INPE: INPA.
PurpleAir. (2019). PurpleAir: Real time air quality monitoring. Retrieved September 17, 2019, from https://www.purpleair.com/map#6.42/-9.383/-71.082
Silvério, D., et al. (2019). Amazon on fire: Technical note from the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM). Retrieved September 17, 2019, from https://ipam.org.br/bibliotecas/nota-tecnica-amazonia-em-chamas/
World Health Organization. (2019). Ambient (outdoor) air quality and health. Retrieved September 17, 2019, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ambient-(outdoor)-air-quality-and-health