Air Quality Profiles in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Multivariate Characterization Using HJ-Biplot (2024)

Abstract

Monitoring ambient air quality is essential for assessing environmental conditions and examining relationships among pollution indicators. This study presents a cross-sectional comparative analysis of key air quality indicators (PM2.5, O3, NO2, SO2, CO, and volatile organic compounds), together with a contextual variable related to pollution exposure (household solid fuels), across countries in Latin America and the Caribbean for the year 2024. The objective is to characterize air quality profiles by analyzing the interrelationships among indicators and the relative positioning of countries, integrating both elements within a multivariate framework. Multivariate statistical techniques, including HJ-Biplot and cluster analysis, were applied to provide an integrated representation of the data. The results indicate differences in the configuration of air quality indicators across countries, with some Caribbean countries associated with lower levels of pollution indicators, while several South and Central American countries are associated with higher levels. These results also suggest associations between air quality indicators and factors such as industrial activity proxies, population density, and the use of household solid fuels. Given the cross-sectional nature of the data, these findings should be interpreted as associations rather than causal relationships.

Carlos Alfredo Torres Cubilla

Data Scientist

My interests focus on programming, statistics and data science.