Taipei air quality map

Live air pollution map of Taipei

961.2K people follow this city

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Unhealthy for sensitive groups
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Contributors

2

Stations

9

Contributors category

1

Government

0

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0

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0

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0

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1

Anonymous

Most polluted air quality stations

#stationUS AQI
1 Datong

72

2 Songshan

72

3 Shilin

65

4 Zhongshan

59

5 Fuguijiao

57

6 Guting

55

7 Tianyu Street

55

8 Wanhua

55

9 Yangming

41

Health Recommendations

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Sensitive groups should reduce outdoor exercise
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Close your windows to avoid dirty outdoor air
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Comprehensive summaries and real-time analyses of the air quality, pollution levels, and forecasts for Taipei.



Understand air pollution and protect yourself

Taipei MAP AIR QUALITY ANALYSIS AND STATISTICS

What information can be found on the air pollution map for Taipei?

The air pollution map for Taipei can be found on the main city page. It is easy to open by clicking the “see on map” box. The first thing to notice is the overall colour of the map. In June 2022 it was a greenish-yellow colour. The meaning of the various colours is explained in the legend at the bottom of the screen. The colours range from pale green for good quality air to a dark maroon colour for hazardous quality.

The viewer will also see many discs superimposed over Taipei and its environs. These coloured discs represent the positions of the ground-level air monitoring stations. As the map is expanded, the discs will start to separate and become easier to see. Each disc carries a colour to indicate the individual air quality and also a number. This number is the US AQI reading which is a standardised set of metrics used to compare different cities across the world. It is endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and is calculated by measuring up to six of the most prolific pollutants. If readings for all six are not available, a figure can still be obtained.

In June 2022, the overall US AQI reading was 10 which is indicative of “Good” quality air. The main pollutant was PM2.5 with a recorded level of 2.5 µg/m³. The WHO set a target figure of 5 µg/m³, so Taipei is below that level although no amount of air pollution is healthy.

On the left-hand side of the screen, you will see four options which can be disabled if required. The first option shows the position of the ground station monitors which appear on the map as a coloured disc. The second choice shows the location of any fires that are burning in the vicinity. The third option will remove the overall colour of the map’s background which might make it easier to understand as the colours used will be more standard. The last choice shows the direction the wind is blowing in which is useful if there are any fires as it will give an idea if the smoke will affect the city or not.

Is any other information to be had from the air pollution map for Taipei?

When both the main city page and the air pollution page are studied together, the viewer will glean the maximum amount of information available.

On the right-hand side of the map screen is seen a table which ranks world cities according to the current level of air pollution. This is particularly useful when making comparisons.

Scrolling down the page, the number of stations providing the data will be seen and also who operates them. There are currently nine stations providing data for Taipei, mostly operated by the government, but there is one anonymous provider.

Following on from there is a list of all the stations and their present pollution levels, so the station with the highest level of pollution is listed first.

Currently, this is Datong with a US AQI reading of 50 which is still classified as being “Good” air quality. The stations are then listed by their popularity, i.e., how many people follow them. The most popular one at Wanhua has over 120,000 followers. These people will be informed of any major changes to the pollution level.

On the main page is some advice as to how best to protect yourself and your family when the levels of air pollution are high. Because the level at the moment is “Good” you are encouraged to open doors and windows to let fresh air into the rooms and participate in outdoor activities.

There is also a brief weather forecast showing temperature, humidity, wind speed and air pressure. An AQI (Air Quality Index) for the next few days can be seen further down the page.

Another table which ranks other cities in Taiwan is then seen, starting with the most polluted and finishing with the cleanest.

Is the source of air pollution identified on the air quality map for Taipei?

The only way of identifying areas of high pollution is to look at the numbers on the coloured discs. The higher the number, the higher level of pollution. The colours will also help to quickly identify polluted areas.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Taiwan's overseas air pollution mainly originates from China, but overseas pollution only accounts for 40 per cent of Taiwan's air pollution, and the other 60 per cent of the pollution sources are generated in the environment. Domestic pollution sources include mobile pollution sources, mainly exhaust emissions from transportation; and stationary pollution sources, including thermal power plants, and emissions from high-polluting industries such as steel and petrochemicals.

Air pollution caused by transportation is the bulk of the exhaust gas emitted by the old and loosely controlled first- and second-stage diesel vehicles. In 2012, the International Agency for Cancer (IARC) classified diesel engine exhaust as a carcinogen, calling on governments to work to reduce public exposure to such substances.

Air pollutant emissions from coal-fired power plants cause about 900 premature deaths in Taiwan each year. If new coal-fired power plants are built according to current plans, the number of premature deaths will rise to 1,200 in the future. Diseases that cause such deaths include lung cancer, stroke, and respiratory diseases.

PM2.5 is often seen on the air pollution map for Taipei, but what is it?

There are many pollutants in the air, among which the dust-like particles floating in the air are called aerosols (Particulate Matter). The particle size of suspended particles is different. Suspended particles less than 2.5 microns (μm) are called fine suspended particles (PM2.5), and the unit is micrograms/cubic metre (μg/m3).

The diameter of PM2.5 is less than 1/28 of the thickness of a hair. It is very fine and can penetrate the air bubbles in the lungs and directly enter the blood vessels with the blood circulation throughout the body. Therefore, the impact on the human body and ecology cannot be ignored.

Children and the elderly are at particular risk from air pollution as are pregnant women and people with pre-existing respiratory problems. The magnitude of the effects is very dependent on the chemicals in the air, the current state of your health and the length of exposure to the polluted air.


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