On August 12 the Shipai Elementary School in Taipei’s Beitou District installed a new air quality monitoring system, which includes flags that can be automatically hoisted to inform people of the air quality of the day. On its first day of use — which was also the first time such a system has been used in Taipei — the system raised a green flag, meaning the air quality posed no health threats.
As air quality in Taiwan worsens, the concentration of PM2.5 — fine particulate matter measuring 25 micrometers in diameter or smaller – is often high and sometimes reaches hazardous levels, which poses health risks to students with allergies and asthma. Shipai Elementary School Principal Wu Sheng-hsueh says parents and teachers have often inquired about whether the air quality is good for having outdoor classes, but the school did not have the technology to determine that and the Central Weather Bureau Web site only provides broad-brush data on the air quality of the larger region.
The newly-installed air quality monitor has flags that can be automatically raised and lowered. Upon detecting serious air pollution, the system will automatically raise a red flag to caution teachers and student against having classes outside. In contrast, a green flag will mean the air quality is acceptable.
Photo: Kuo Yi, Liberty Times
照片：自由時報記者郭逸
As polluted air can enter classrooms, the school has also decided to install an automatic ventilation system, which will keep fine particulate matter outside classrooms, so that teachers and students can be protected from air pollution during classes.
(Liberty Times, translated by Tu Yu-an)
台北市北投區石牌國小八月十二日升起台北市第一支「空氣品質偵測連動環保旗幟」，是代表安全的綠旗。
Photo: Kuo Yi, Liberty Times
照片：自由時報記者郭逸
台灣空氣越來越糟，細懸浮微粒PM2.5濃度高，不時「紫爆」，影響過敏、氣喘學生健康。石牌國小校長吳勝學說，常有家長和老師問他該日是否適合在戶外上課，但學校過去沒有相關儀器，氣象局空氣測站資料也只能看出大範圍的空氣品質。
學校新設置的空氣品質偵測連動環保旗幟會自動升降。空污嚴重會自動升起紅色警戒旗，提醒師生上不上戶外課程；綠色的安全旗升起則代表空污在許可範圍。
由於戶外的髒空氣也會飄入教室，校方也同步裝設室內連動排風系統，排出教室內空氣中的懸浮粒子，讓師生在室內上課也不會吸到髒空氣。 (自由時報記者郭逸)
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