ILOILO City – The ambient air in this city, including the “first towns” of Oton, Pavia and Leganes, is within standard values for this year’s second quarter.
This was according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Region 6 data based on the National Ambient Air Quality Guideline Values (NAAQGV).
This Thursday, Sept. 7, the United Nations will celebrate International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies with the theme “Together for Clean Air.”
In the country, Republic Act 8749, or the Clean Air Act, signed on June 23, 1999 by former President Joseph Estrada, seeks to promote and protect the citizens’ right to breathe clean air.
An ambient air monitoring assessment is conducted to determine high concentrations of particulate matter that may cause serious health problems when inhaled.
Monitoring systems in the metro are installed in five locations: La Paz Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station on Jereos Street, La Paz district; Leganes Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station on Hilado Street, Leganes; Pavia Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station in Pavia National High School; Oton Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System in Oton Central Elementary School in Oton; and University of San Agustin Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station on General Lune Street, City Proper.
Sampling is done every six days for a 24-hour exposure period.
“So, dira [monitoring stations] nakabutang ang aton equipment, naka-spread ang Metro Iloilo Airshed (MIA). And based sa second quarter nga result all is in good condition, within sia sa air quality standard for Particulate Matter or PM10,” according to the EMB-6.
The NAAQGV for PM10 is 150 micrograms per normal cubic meter (µg/Ncm).
PM is a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets in the air, while the Total Suspended Particle (TSP) refers to all atmospheric particles with diameters equal to or less than 100 micrometers.
These relatively “coarse” particles are mainly related to soiling and dust nuisance.
The results of EMB monitoring per station this second quarter:
* La Paz Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station – April (19 µg/Ncm) and May (23 µg/Ncm).
* Leganes Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station – April (25.12 µg/Ncm) and May (27.60 µg/Ncm)
* Oton Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System – April (29.61 µg/Ncm), May (34.25 µg/Ncm), and June (22 µg/Ncm)
* Pavia Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station – April (23.24 µg/Ncm), May (31.08 µg/Ncm) and June (33.11 µg/Ncm)
* University of San Agustin Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station – May (10.75 µg/Ncm)
“Meaning kon taas sa standard ang aton result, mas law-ay ang aton air quality,” the bureau said.
Local sources of pollutants are mobile, area and stationary.
Mobile sources include motor vehicles moving on land, sea and air.
Area sources of air pollutants include emissions through processes such as the production of methane by decaying organic materials, grass fires, building construction, dry cleaning, unpaved roads, dumpsites and landfills, and the small-scale burning of combustible materials like charcoal in households and commercial food preparations.
On the other hand, air pollutants emitted by facilities with geographically fixed locations and Air Pollution Source Installation (APSI) like standby generator sets and boilers are referred to as stationary sources of air pollutants.
“Ang number one contributor sa particulate matter is ang yab-ok or kis-a ang mga aso,” it added.
The EMB-6 data further showed that the pollutants per monitoring station were:
* La Paz – vehicle emissions, stationary sources, and the ongoing rehabilitation of La Paz Plaza;
* Oton and Leganes – vehicle emissions and stationary sources;
* Pavia – vehicle emissions and stationary sources such as malls, commercial establishments, and industrial plants; and
* University of San Agustin – vehicle emissions, stationary sources such as commercial establishments./PN
