Pollution in Medellin, Colombia

Air pollution data from World Health Organization
PM₁₀	60
PM_2.5	36
PM₁₀ Pollution Level:	High

Pollution in Medellin, Colombia

Air Pollution	76.67	High
Drinking Water Pollution and Inaccessibility	13.10	Very Low
Dissatisfaction with Garbage Disposal	27.16	Low
Dirty and Untidy	28.24	Low
Noise and Light Pollution	61.34	High
Water Pollution	37.50	Low
Dissatisfaction to Spend Time in the City	61.65	High
Dissatisfaction with Green and Parks in the City	33.82	Low

Purity and Cleanliness in Medellin, Colombia

Air quality	23.33	Low
Drinking Water Quality and Accessibility	86.90	Very High
Garbage Disposal Satisfaction	72.84	High
Clean and Tidy	71.76	High
Quiet and No Problem with Night Lights	38.66	Low
Water Quality	62.50	High
Comfortable to Spend Time in the City	38.35	Low
Quality of Green and Parks	66.18	High

Contributors: 90

Last update: November 2020

These data are based on perceptions of visitors of this website in the past 3 years.

If the value is 0, it means it is perceived as very low, and if the value is 100, it means it is perceived as very high.

Explore Medellin:

Nearby cities:

Pollution in Manizales	120.29 miles
Pollution in Armenia	161.05 miles

This page in other languages:

DeutschUmweltverschmutzung in Medellin
PortuguêsPoluição em Medellin
ItalianoInquinamento a Medellin
FrançaisPollution à Medellin
EspañolContaminación en Medellín

Leave a comment:

4 Comments so far

Richard on Oct 23, 2017:

Refer to this article from science daily. This shows the average motorcycle emitting 16 times more hydrocarbons, three times more carbon monoxide and a “disproportionately high” amount of other air pollutants compared to passenger cars, according to a Swiss study. THIS is Medellin`s pollution secret in a nutshell. One word: MOTORCYCLES

Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2005-12-motorcycles-emit-disproportionately-high-amounts.html#jCphttps://phys.org/news/2005-12-motorcycles-emit-disproportionately-high-amounts.html

Anonymous on Oct 23, 2017:

Without the electrically driven Metro Trains and Metro Cable Transport system, transporting over half a million persons daily, this city would be one of the most polluted cities in the entire world. While automobiles have increased, the 500% increase in Motorcycles in 10 years is now what I see as the primary cause of continual air pollution in Medellin. Colombia should also make the switch to clean diesel as the USA has done. It is more expensive, but would reduce particulate matter pollution from Buses and Trucks. Nevertheless the 300,000 plus Motos on the road every day are choking this city. Motorcycle operators here also drive erratic, almost never obey speed limits, and are disrespectful on the road--cause many highway accidents--and severe Noise pollution!
Do not underestimate how the extreme number of motorcycles are damaging the entire Aburra Valley.

Richard on Oct 23, 2017:

I got very sick with a bad respiratory infection here this last week due to air pollution. Finally, 2 days ago it started to rain and the air is clearing up. Do not underestimate the severe cause of air pollution in this city which I am going to define as 1 primary cause. MOTORCYCLES. Hundreds of Thousands of Motorcycles on the streets every day. This extreme number of motorcycles and small 2 wheel vehicles which operate on a gas--oil mixture are severe polluters here. Almost every motorcycle pollutes more than a decent 4 cylinder car, yet it only carries 1 or 2 persons maximum. Poor operation of the motorcycles, fast accleration and so forth, cause more unburned fuel mixture to pass by the cylinder and enter the air as dirty exhaust. If Medellin really wants to combat Air Pollution which is indeed damaging this city, the citizens and lawmakers must look at reducing Motorcycles on the road. I don`t think this can be easily accomplished. Motorcycle operators presently drive as though they own the entire roadway here.

Alejandra on Dec 28, 2016:

Even when we have a lot of mountains and trees, the quality of air is very bad in certain zones due to car contamination (city is small but there are many cars, motorcicles, public transportation whom do not always follow legal instructions to check their vehicules for producing contamination). Also, back in the 80s gas was filled with very damaging chemicals. Many of the citizens die to a cause associated with bad air quality (hear t, lungs, etc). 3 or 4 years ago, no matter where one where, one can see the mountains but now (not always) you see pollution and see no mountains.

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Index
Pollution Index:	62.88
Pollution Exp Scale:	123.91

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