Extremely high levels of air pollutants were detected at this month’s annual Dajia Matsu Pilgrimage, with the highest PM2.5 — fine particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometers or smaller in diameter — concentration recorded nearly 59 times higher than the legal limit.
The iEnvironmental Protection Administration (EPA) yesterday revealed results of an air quality monitoring program that assessed air pollution along the route of the nine-day pilgrimage from April 9 to 17, which recorded a PM2.5 concentration of 4,188 micrograms per cubic meter, dozens of times higher than the EPA’s highest legal limit of 71 micrograms per cubic meter.
According to EPA criteria, PM2.5 levels higher than 54 micrograms per cubic meter are considered unhealthy.
“Peak pollution episodes coincided with firecrackers being lit and ghost money burned. PM2.5 concentrations always reached more than 1,000 micrograms per cubic meters within 5m of where firecrackers were lit,” EPA Department of Environmental Monitoring and Information Management Director-General Tsai Hung-te (蔡鴻德) said, adding that rain during the pilgrimage might have reduced PM2.5 levels.
The pilgrimage went through Yunlin, Chiayi and Changhua counties and Taichung, with PM2.5 concentrations along the route averaging 146 micrograms per cubic meter.
The three highest PM2.5 concentrations detected were 4,188, 3,724, and 3,207 micrograms per cubic meter at Changhua’s Huatan Township (花壇), Chiayi’s Singang Township (新港) and Taichung’s Dadu District (大肚) respectively, all of which were caused by large-scale use of firecrackers and fireworks, Tsai said.
“An interesting thing we saw during the pilgrimage was a truck carrying sound devices that simulated the sound of firecrackers, and PM2.5 levels around the truck were only between 40 and 80 micrograms per cubic meter. The truck showed that environmental awareness has increased among devotees,” he said.
“PM2.5 levels dropped quickly when fumes dissipated, but our monitoring team detected 358 micrograms per cubic meter of PM2.5 near a sausage stand even when the smoke from firecrackers was gone. People who like eating barbecue should take notice,” he said.
The EPA has set up environmental guidelines for organizing large events, and the agency is to cooperate with temples and other government units to carry out environmental education programs to make religious activities more environmentally friendly.
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