Spatial distribution and environmental impact, following fires in the Santa Clara landfill, Villa Clara, Cuba

Abstract

The risks of environmental pollution occupy a relevant place in the scheme of ecological studies at the national and territorial level. These must be treated with the articulation of a system of preventive measures and proactive solutions that contribute to mitigate the consequences of the negative deterioration on the existing ecosystems. The objective of this research was to evaluate the environmental impact of the solid particles dispersed in the air resulting from the fires that occurred in the Municipal Landfill of the city of Santa Clara, in Villa Clara, Cuba, on the community of Caracatey, due to its proximity to the landfill and the spatial reach that these particles had in the city of Santa Clara. For the development of this research, methods of information collection and methods of processing the information collected were used, among which the following stand out: participatory observation, document review, interview, analytical-synthetic, historical-logical, modeling, deductive-demonstrative and statistical-mathematical. The sample to be interviewed consisted of 600 inhabitants throughout the city, with greater emphasis on the inhabitants of the community of Caracatey. According to the map prepared, the scope of the smoke was 7 km in different directions, and the inhabitants of the city of Santa Clara, according to interviews conducted, suffered some damage to their health, urban agriculture, and domestic animals, among others.