Kurt Hollander

“The wind in Mexico City tends to come from the north, picking up particles from Tlalnepantla, the most industrialized zone of the city (and the country), eroded soil from the dried-out Texcoco lake, and soot from trash being burned in the garbage cities, dispersing all these particles throughout the city. The southeastern part of the city, hemmed in by nearby mountains, accumulates the highest levels of ozone, while the eastern part of the city receives the highest levels of suspended particles. Eroded soil and deforestation caused by the urbanization of forest land help create dust storms, which sometimes reach the intensity of low-level urban tornadoes, whipping up dirt and garbage and sending them flying into the air.”
― Kurt Hollander, Several Ways to Die in Mexico City: An Autobiography of Death in Mexico City

“Living in Mexico City is a two-way street. So much waste is produced in the city each day that the environment can’t absorb it all, and the organic and inorganic solids, fluids and gases that accumulate inevitably make their way into our body through our nose, mouth and even our skin. The longer someone lives in Mexico City, the more material from the environment enters into and is stored within their body, thus directly affecting their health and longevity. When exposed to high levels of toxic substances for a sufficient amount of time human beings tend to get sick and die.”
― Kurt Hollander, Several Ways to Die in Mexico City: An Autobiography of Death in Mexico City