The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) issued a “red” air pollution alert indicating unhealthy conditions for Pingtung and Kaohsiung on Tuesday (April 18).
An “orange” pollution alert was given for northern and western Taiwan, indicating citizens sensitive to pollution are urged to stay indoors and avoid strenuous outdoor activities.
At noon today, the EPA Lunbei monitoring station reported a PM2.5 concentration of 48.2 micrograms per cubic meter, Erlin reported 47μg/m3, Yuanlin 44.1 μg/m3, Mailiao 42.9 μg/m3, and Guanyin 40.3 μg/m3.
Health experts generally agree that PM2.5 levels above 35 4.1 μg/m3 over a 24-hour period is unhealthy and can cause problems for people with existing conditions such as asthma.
According to the EPA, winds came from southerly and southeasterly directions and had a poor diffusion effect. Ozone concentrations also rose this afternoon, creating a smog like haze or fog which affected visibility.
The EPA expects air quality to improve with the arrival of a frontal system on Wednesday and Thursday (April 19-20) with moisture increasing in various areas increasing the probability of rainfall in western Taiwan. Rain will improve air quality and much of Taiwan will experience either good or average air quality.
