Introduction:

SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted mainly by the airborne route, which is influenced by environmental factors such as particulate matter.

Objectives:

To determine the mean concentration of particulate matter 10 in five environmental monitoring stations in Santa Marta (Colombia) to evaluate the incremental risk or predisposition of morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19, prior to the onset of the pandemic.

Methods:

Descriptive cross-sectional study in a sample of five environmental monitoring stations on the concentration of particulate matter. The information was obtained from the database "Calidad de Aire del Departamento del Magdalena" of the open data website of the Colombian government.

Results:

In the five environmental stations the annual average concentration of particulate matter exceeded or approached 50 µg/m3, the limit allowed per year in Colombia, and almost tripled that established by the WHO. Between 13-30% of the daily concentrations of particulate matter exceeded 75 µg/m3: the threshold in the country. Meanwhile, 50-75 % of the concentrations exceeded the daily reference dose in international organizations. The highest pollution levels were observed in the southern sector.

Conclusions:

In all stations a large part of the daily concentrations and the annual mean exceeded the limit for particulate matter 10. This increased the established risk of COVID-19, and the predisposition for morbimortality due to this disease in the city of Santa Marta, before the beginning of the pandemic, is presumed.

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