A report from the Legislative Yuan found that Taiwan has been unable to meet its relatively lax standards on particulate pollution over the past few years, and recommends that the central government file a written report each year on how it is combating poor air quality.
According to last month’s report from the legislature’s Legislative Research Bureau, the country’s annual mean concentration levels of airborne particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) were 24 micrograms per cubic meter (mcg/m3), 23.5mcg/m3, 22mcg/m3 and 20mcg/m3 for 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, respectively.
While this shows an improvement in air quality, the figures are still much higher than the allotted concentration of 15mcg/m3 annually, the report found.
Taiwan’s allotted concentration of PM10 over a 24-hour period is 125mcg/m3 while those in Japan, South Korea and the EU range from 50mcg/m3 to 100mcg/m3.
The National Health Research Institutes says that the nation’s allotted concentration levels for PM2.5 are 15mcg/m3 annually and 35mcg/m3 over a 24-hour period, while those of the WHO are 10mcg/m3 per year and 25mcg/m3 over a 24-hour period.
The legislature is asking relevant central government agencies to work harder on the issue and to present annual written reports on their progress to lawmakers.
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