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Taipei experiences the worst air pollution this year

A thick layer of smog blanketed Taipei yesterday as the capital suffered its worst air quality since the beginning of the year, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said.

EPA experts attributed the poor air quality in the greater Taipei area mainly to rising temperatures, Taipei's topography and high ozone concentrations.

Chang Shun-chin (張順欽), an EPA inspector in charge of air quality protection, said air quality worsened at around noon yesterday when the temperature climbed to 26oC and culminated at around 2pm. Taipei is situated in a basin where dirty air accumulates and lingers unless there are strong winds, Chang said.

When the temperature rose, the ozone density in the area increased to an "unhealthy" level and the average hourly density of particulate matter (PM) suspended in the air over the greater Taipei area also shot up, Chang said.

Chang said that PM readings in Taipei City's Zhongshan (中山) and Wanhua (萬華) Districts, as well as in Sinjhuang (新莊) and Sanchong (三重) in Taipei County, reached as much as 200 micrograms per cubic meter (mcm) at around 2pm, compared to the average reading yesterday of 178mcm for Taipei, 151mcm for central Taiwan and 118mcm for southern Taiwan.

Air quality in the greater Taipei area will remain poor when the temperature drops because the wind will subside too, Chang said.

High PM density and high ozone concentrations can cause respiratory distress in humans. Chang advised the elderly, young children and people with allergies or respiratory problems to refrain from going outside or to wear masks if they do.

The haze is expected to clear by tomorrow, Chang said.

Northern and western Taiwan usually experience worsening air quality between January and March each year when pollutants originating from China are brought in by cold fronts.
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