While northern Taiwan recovers from the fallout of Mongolian sandstorms, seasonally poor air quality was beginning to affect central- and south-western parts of the country.
Environmental Protection Administration officials said the situation would not significantly improve before the weekend.
The officials also urged people with respiratory diseases to avoid outdoor activities over the next few days.
The average particulate matter concentration in air in central and southern Taiwan measured early yesterday exceeded 200, the highest this winter.
The highest level, 254, was measured in the city of Touliu, Yunlin County.
By comparison, data from the administration's Environmental Monitoring and Data Processing Bureau indicated that the highest reading during the sandstorm from China was 199, in Taoyuan County.
According to the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI), the air quality in central and southern Taiwan measured yesterday was "unhealthy," because most readings were higher than 100, officials said.
PSI is calculated based on concentrations of a variety of pollutants, including particulate matter (known as PM10), sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and ozone.
As of press time, the PSI level was 117 in central Taiwan, 119 in the area of Yunlin and Chiayi counties and 103 in Nantou County.
"The bad air quality can be attributed to local pollutants and had nothing to do with Chinese sandstorms," Shieh Ping-fei (
Shieh said that the administration had asked local governments to enforce strict controls on mobile and fixed sources of air pollutants, including automobiles, factories and construction sites.
Wu Cheuan-fang (
The Central Mountain Range blocks the prevailing northeast winds of winter from reaching the west, particularly between Tai-chung to Kaohsiung, allowing pollution to build up in these areas.
According to the Central Weather Bureau, the next weather front will not arrive until Sunday, and the poor air quality will continue across western counties until then.
EPA officials said sandstorms usually occur between January and May in Mongolia, sometimes bringing pollutants from northern China, where industrialization has been extensive in recent years.
Neighboring territories, including the Korean peninsula and Japan are usually affected.
The smallest particles sometimes drift as far as Taiwan, triggering respiratory diseases.
A sandstorm originating Mongolia last Thursday was monitored by NASA's Earth Observatory, which offers free satellite imagery and scientific information about the Earth via the Internet.
According to the observatory's Web site, the increased use of coal and wood for heating in the winter across eastern China often leads to a widespread haze, as evidenced by the vast gray pall of pollution hanging over much of the country on Sunday.
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