Transboundary pollutants affect air quality in Taiwan

Taipei, Dec. 14 (CNA) With air pollutants moving in from overseas, air quality was poor in most of Taiwan on Saturday, according to the Ministry of Environment.

The ministry's air quality monitoring network showed that as of 9 a.m. Saturday, the air quality index (AQI) flashed an orange alert in many monitoring stations in northern Taiwan, including Sanchong, Xinzhuang, Linkuo, Tamsui, Xizhi and Cape Fukuei of New Taipei City and Keelung and Taoyuan cities.

It also warned that air quality was worsening to an orange alert level later in the day in Yunlin, Chiayi and Pingtung counties, and Tainan and Kaohsiung cities, as well as outlying Kinmen and Matsu islands.

An orange warning suggests unhealthy air quality for sensitive groups such as the elderly, children, and people with cardiac or respiratory conditions.

The ministry said as haze appeared between Shandong and Shanghai in China, the continental cold air mass, which was currently moving downward, brought air pollutants to Taiwan and affected the country's air quality.

As the ongoing northeasterly wind system brought pollutants to Taiwan proper, it was easy for air pollutants to accumulate in downwind areas in central and southern parts of the country, it said.

The ministry urged the public to take precautionary measures to protect themselves from poor air quality if they plan to engage in outdoor activities.

Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower), the state-owned power supplier in the country, is expected to cut carbon emissions in some of its power plants around the country based on power supplies to assuage the impact of poor air quality.

The power plants that could see carbon emissions reduced will include Taichung Power Plant, Hsieh-ho Power Plant in Keelung, Hsinta Power Plant in Kaohsiung, and Mailiao Power Plant in Yunlin, according to Taipower.