Influencia de la isla de calor urbano sobre la calidad del aire en una ciudad costera intermedia del Ecuador (2015–2025): Caso Portoviejo

Gabriela Stefania Mora-Pin; Gema Elizabeth Navarro-Saltos; Rodrigo Paul Cabrera-Verdezoto

Authors

Mora-Pin Gabriela Stefania Universidad Estatal del Sur de Manabí. Jipijapa, Ecuador. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3601-4984
Navarro-Saltos Gema Elizabeth Universidad Estatal del Sur de Manabí. Jipijapa, Ecuador. https://orcid.org/0009-0001-5603-7481
Cabrera-Verdezoto Rodrigo Paul Universidad Estatal del Sur de Manabí. Jipijapa, Ecuador. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9560-5795

Keywords:

Urban heat island, air quality, PM₂.₅, PM₁₀, Portoviejo, intermediate coastal city

Abstract

DOI: https://doi.org/10.46296/ig.v9i17.0333

Abstract

Urban growth and land-use changes produce large differences in temperature and air quality in Intermediate-sized cities, affecting their ecosystem and citizens' health. This study's overall objective was to establish an understanding of urban thermal behaviour and how air quality changed across the city of Portoviejo from 2015-2025, as well as to evaluate the relationship between thermal variables and air pollution measures. Quantitative analyses conducted with historical series data of air temperature and the concentration of fine (PM2.5) and coarse (PM10) particulate matter from national meteorological stations and air quality records; as well as, descriptive statistics and correlation tests was performed. This study indicates that the average yearly temperature is steadily increasing and reaching its highest temperature marks. The results are clearly evident in this study in that cities experience urban heat island effects along with greater increases in their maximum temperatures. The results have also revealed that air quality has decreased over time due to the persistent PM2.5 and PM10 that exceed the World Health Organization recommended limits for air quality. An additional finding in the study that is of major importance is that there is a considerable correlation between the urban temperature and the amount of particulate matter (PM) in the air. An increase in urban temperature can create a condition that favours increased accumulation of the PM and can also create conditions that prevent the PM from dispersing throughout the atmosphere. These results provide useful information to aid in the design and implementation of strategies to reduce the urban heat island effect in Ecuador's coastal cities and to provide improved environmental management within these cities.

Keywords: Urban heat island, air quality, PM₂.₅, PM₁₀, Portoviejo, intermediate coastal city.

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