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Talk of the day -- Giant sandstorm hits Taiwan
2010/03/22 14:17:21 |
The biggest sandstorm in 25 years swept over Taiwan Sunday, sharply increasing air pollution throughout the country.
A total of 38 observation stations across Taiwan recorded particulate concentrations of more than 1,000 micrograms per cubic meter per hour, compared with normal levels of under 150 micrograms per cubic meter, according to data compiled by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA).
The highest dust concentration of 1,724 micrograms per cubic meter was registered around noon on Sunday at Shilin station in northern Taiwan, the EPA reported.
Concentration at 30 of 76 monitoring stations in northern Taiwan and the outlying Matsu and Kinmen islands were rated "hazardous, " while "very poor" levels of pollution were recorded at eight stations in Yilan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Yunlin, Chiayi, Tainan and central Taiwan. "Poor" levels were recorded at 23 stations in Hualien, Taitung, Kaohsiung and Pingtung, according to the EPA.
Air pollution caused by the sandstorm, which originated in China, was expected to improve as the cold front weakens Monday, the EPA reported. However, air quality will not return to normal before midday Wednesday at the earliest because the sandstorm is moving slowly, the agency said.
The following are excerpts from local media coverage of the sandstorm:
Liberty Times:
Severe pollution resulting from the sandstorm caused the number of emergency room visits to rise by 30 percent Sunday, with most complaining of eye pain or throat discomfort.
Doctors advised people with respiratory diseases and others with breathing problems to stay indoors until the sand has dispersed. Meanwhile, the general public is advised to wear masks and goggles when going outdoors.
Drinking more water, keeping windows closed and using air cleaners are also recommended. The sandstorm also caused muddy rains in Yilan, northeastern Taiwan. Visibility was reduced to less than 10 kilometers in Yilan and 5 kilometers in southeast Taiwan's Taitung.
Meanwhile, car washing businesses reported a boost due to the sandstorm. (March 22, 2010). United Daily News:
While the frequency of sandstorms in Taiwan that originated in China has decreased in recent years, the scale and intensity of the storms has grown, EPA data shows.
The strong winds and sand originated in drought-stricken northern China, said Hsu Shih-chieh, an assistant research fellow at Academia Sinica's Research Center for Environmental Changes.
Hsu said although the sandstorms that hit Taiwan last April and on Sunday were extremely strong, experts still need two or three more years of observation to determine whether such storms will become an annual occurence.
Despite the sandstorm, some 9,000 runners participating in the Taipei Express Marathon reached the finish line. Organizers said that according to international standards, the air pollution was not severe enough to cancel the event.
This was the first time in the marathon's 30-year history that runners have encountered a sandstorm.
The sandstorm also caused trouble for workers at freeway toll collection stations as they had to brave strong winds and dust and carefully handle toll tickets and banknotes to keep them from being blown away.
Some complained that although they had worn two masks, dust still got into their eyes and caused discomfort to their throats. (March 22, 2010). China Times:
The threat to air quality from the sandstorm eased in northern Taiwan Monday as a cold air mass moved into central and southern areas, but another sandstorm is expected to affect Taiwan when a second cold front approaches Wednesday, weather experts said.
Sandstorms become stronger when coupled with cold fronts, but weaker if it rains.
In light of the air pollution brought by sandstorms, Hsieh Kuo-chin, head of an association of parents' groups, urged the Ministry of Education to draw up national standards for implementing school closure and authorize schools to cancel physical classes when a sandstorm hits. (March 22, 2010).
(By Y.L. Kao)
ENDITEM/bc
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