DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

The authors of a study of air pollution in Santo Domingo published in Atmosphere are warning of the high levels of heavy metals generated mainly by the traffic jams in Greater Santo Domingo.

The authors emphasize that this study fills a major gap in Caribbean environmental research. They call for the Dominican government to strengthen environmental monitoring systems and move toward more rigorous emission control policies to mitigate health risks for the residents of Santo Domingo. The study dates back to 2022, thus if the study were to be updated in 2026, the findings would likely be worse because traffic and industry has intensified.

The researchers warn that because these metals are bound to respirable particles, they pose a severe risk to the population. Prolonged exposure to these elements is linked to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, neurological...