Taiwan would next year start trials to monitor ultrafine PM0.1 particles in Taichung and Kaohsiung to help develop a stable foundation for monitoring the pollutants, the Ministry of Environment said today.
PM0.1, or particulate matter with a diameter of 0.1 micrometers or less, is relatively unstudied and unmonitored in Taiwan, and its sources and characteristics are not fully understood by the ministry, Deputy Minister of Environment Shen Chih-hsiu (沈志修) said in a report to the Legislative Yuan.
The ministry has included the issue in its air quality policy white paper as a key focus of air quality management over the next 10 years, he said.
Photo: CNA
PM0.1 particulates are about one-700th the width of a human hair, making them difficult for the body to defend against and potentially very harmful to human health, Shen said.
The WHO, which included ultrafine particles in its global air quality guidelines for the first time in 2021, says that exposure to such particles might increase the risk of systemic inflammation and cardiovascular or lung diseases.
Road traffic and other forms of transportation, such as aviation and shipping, are usually the main sources of the particles, but they can also come from industrial sources, power plants, residential heating and biomass burning, the WHO says.
Research has found that PM0.1 concentrations vary significantly across urban areas and throughout the day, such as during rush hour versus off-peak times, unlike PM2.5, which tends to be more evenly distributed, Shen said.
Taiwan monitors PM2.5 and PM10 as part of its overall air quality monitoring system.
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