Abstract: Air pollution is a complex mixture of gaseous and particulate components, each of which has detrimental effects on human health. Ground-level ozone is a highly reactive oxidative gas commonly found in urban and suburban environments, primarily derived from anthropogenic emissions. Numerous epidemiological studies and several reviews from environmental and health agencies around the world have reported that exposure to these contaminants is associated with adverse health outcomes, including increased short-term mortality and morbidity. This project aims to quantify the excess mortality and short- term hospitalizations associated with ozone contingencies in the megalopolis of the Valley of Mexico. Ozone concentrations are simulated using the regional chemical Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model coupled with Chemistry version 4.2.1.1 with the T1-MOZCART chemical mechanism within two domains; domain 1 has a spatial resolution of 10 x 10 km, which covers the central area of Mexico from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast; and the second domain 2.5 x 2.5 km, which covers the entire megalopolis of the Valley of Mexico. The model outputs and data from the Mexican Public Health Institute are used to estimate health effects with the Environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program – Community Edition (BenMAP-CE).

Keywords: Ozone, WRF-Chem, BenMAP-CE, Megalopolis of the Valley of Mexico.