Ozone and PM2.5 pollution increased slightly in Taiwan over the past year, but the nation’s air quality is generally improving, the Ministry of Environment said in a report yesterday.
As of Dec. 15, Taiwan’s daily air quality index reading was more than 100 for 6.3 percent of the year, an improvement over the 15.09 percent reported in 2017, Department of Monitoring and Information Director Hsieh Ping-hui (謝炳輝) said.
An air quality index reading of 50 or below is considered safe, while readings above 100 are deemed unhealthy.
Photo: Chen Chia-yi, Taipei Times
The average concentration of PM2.5 was 13.8 micrograms per cubic meter (mcg/m3) so far this year, a 30 percent improvement over 20 mcg/m3 in 2016, Hsieh said, adding that the average ozone concentration was 30.6 parts per billion (ppb).
However, these figures were worse than last year’s 12.4 mcg/m3 PM.25 and 29.1ppb ozone, a phenomenon likely caused by relatively low rainfall and weak winds that mostly blew in an easterly direction, he said.
These conditions trapped particulate matter and created favorable conditions for ozone formation, Hsieh said.
The ministry plans to carry out the next four-year segment of its air pollution control plan to decrease the nation’s average PM2.5 pollution to 13mcg/m3 and issue no more than 42 ozone alerts by 2027, he said.
Reducing PM2.5 emissions more than current levels to achieve the government’s 2027 goals would likely prove challenging as it involves replacing obsolete motor vehicles and shore power installations with newer, more efficient units, Chang said.
Meanwhile, the ministry would contine to control the use of ozone precursor chemicals, including volatile organic compounds and nitric oxide, Chang added.
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