Air Quality in Quito

Part of my program in Quito includes conducting an independent study project to further submerse myself into the culture with a specific topic I am interested in. It requires at least a 30 page qualitative research paper written in Spanish. Since I am very passionate about air quality, and am quite affected by it here due to the area’s geography, I knew I wanted to focus on this topic. Due to the higher altitude of Quito and 27% lower oxygen levels, the area is more susceptible to incomplete combustion. Therefore, I have chosen my research question to be: What is the perspective of Quiteños (people who live in Quito) about air pollution in Quito? I am interested to see if correlations are prevalent between the lower and middle class. I will be conducting interviews very soon in the upcoming weeks. It’s challenging to read scientific documents and conduct interviews in Spanish, but it’s amazing to see how much more I can understand up until this point!