Environment ministry to launch PM0.1 monitoring trials in 2026

Taipei, June 25 (CNA) Taiwan will start trials to monitor ultrafine PM0.1 air particles in Taichung and Kaohsiung starting in 2026 to help develop a stable foundation for monitoring the pollutants, the Ministry of Environment (MOENV) said Wednesday.

In a report to the Legislative Yuan, Deputy Environment Minister Shen Chih-hsiu (沈志修) said PM0.1 particles, which have a diameter of 0.1 micrometers or less, remain relatively unstudied and unmonitored in Taiwan, and their sources and characteristics are not fully understood by the ministry.

He said 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.

PM0.1 particles 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.

According to the World Health Organization, which included ultrafine particles in its global air quality guidelines for the first time in 2021, exposure to such particles may increase the risk of systemic inflammation and cardiovascular or lung diseases.

It said road traffic and other forms of transportation (aviation and shipping) are usually the main sources of the particles, but also indicated they could come from emissions from industrial sources, power plants, residential heating and biomass burning.

Shen said 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.

Taiwan currently monitors PM2.5 and PM10 particulates as part of its overall air quality monitoring system.