Environmental Assessment of Brick Kilns in Chihuahua State, México, Using Digital Cartography

The world’s population is concentrated in urban areas, which are characterized by being highly dynamic and complex. There are several enterprises responsible for high levels of pollution, one of them is the brick kiln. One standard traditional brick kiln may produce 86 kg of particulate matter on a 12 hours burn required to produce 10,000 bricks. There are many brick kilns of this size distributed around urban areas of the state of Chihuahua. These brick kilns represent an environmental problem due to their negative health effects if the amount of particulate matter is extrapolated to the total number of burns carried out. There is a need for a proper environmental management of natural resources and urban planning. This chapter presents two objectives using digital cartography as a tool and considering the complete and complex state of Chihuahua. One of the objectives of this study was to identify the location of the brick kiln in all the municipalities of the state and the other objective was to determine the best places, around the state of Chihuahua, to relocate the brick kiln industry in order to minimize environmental risk. Multicriteria Analysis (MCA) based on digital cartography and a Geographical Information System (GIS) were used. The factors selected for analysis included biophysical, social and economic aspects. In order to estimate the effects of brick kiln operation, a nine-level estimated risk scale was defined using hierarchical MCA and the modified Delphi technique. The weighted risk factors were mapped in the GIS using the Spatial Analysis® extension. Polygons showing the degree of population and ecosystem vulnerability were obtained by superposing the maps. Currently, 78.8 % of kilns are located in areas of medium to high vulnerability. Using the data obtained in this study, brick kilns in the state of Chihuahua can be relocated on the basis of reliable technical criteria. Risk maps are presented for those regions that contain brick kilns inside or close by the city.

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