When
we started to research the pollution issue, we’d like to know the process of the
professional pollution monitor, so our teacher contacted with EPA and made an appointment
to visit the monitoring station. It was a sunny day, and Mr. Chen Ping Lin, who
came from EPA in Taipei to Hsien-Hsi specially, shared his life in monitoring station
with us. We never thought that Hsien-Hsi Monitoring Station is in our school and
the big container on the top floor of classroom is the monitoring station, so
it was more meaningful for us to pay a visit. We have visited the EPA website
in advance to understand air monitoring station initially.
I. Introduction of Air Quality Monitoring Station
1. Six types of Monitoring Station in Taiwan in total
77 stations:
2. Six principles for locating site:
3. Goal of setting monitoring station:
Setting monitoring station for long-term monitoring is the major basis of air quality protection and air pollution control. Except for monitoring air pollutant, it is also the important index of analysis and evaluation for the public health threat and natural environment threat or possible damage of air pollution. To let the public have rights to know the result, EPA posted the instant air quality data and last monitoring statistics on their website.
- General
air quality monitoring stations: 60 sites
- Industrial air quality
monitoring stations: 5 sites (Toufen, Hsien-Hsi, Mailiao, Taixi, Qianzhen)
- Traffic air quality
monitoring stations: 6 sites (Fengshan, Sanchong, Zhongli, Yonghe, Fuxing, Datong)
- National park monitoring
stations: 2 sites (Hengchun, Yangming)
- Background air quality
monitoring stations: 4 sites (Wanli, Guanyin, Sanyi, Qiaotou)
- Photochemical
Assessment Monitoring Stations: 9 sites (Wanhua, Tucheng, Chungming, Taixi, Pozi,
Tainan, Qiaotou, Siaogang, Chaozhou)
2. Six principles for locating site:
- Types of the monitoring
station
- Distribution of
pollution source and pollutant concentration
- Topography, geography
and climatic conditions
- Distribution of
populations and traffic conditions
- Benefit to distinguish
the effect of protection control countermeasure
- Urban planning, district
planning or other land exploitation planning
3. Goal of setting monitoring station:
Setting monitoring station for long-term monitoring is the major basis of air quality protection and air pollution control. Except for monitoring air pollutant, it is also the important index of analysis and evaluation for the public health threat and natural environment threat or possible damage of air pollution. To let the public have rights to know the result, EPA posted the instant air quality data and last monitoring statistics on their website.
II. Introduction of Hsien-Hsi Monitoring Station
Hsien-Hsi Station on the top floor of our school has started its monitoring from July 19th 1991. It was built for the establishment of Changhua Coastal Industrial Park which might cause large amount of air pollution, so it belonged to industrial air quality monitoring station. Therefore, Hsien-Hsi Station was located on top floor of our school because of its open environment.
The monitoring items are environment monitoring and weather monitoring: Environment monitoring items: Sulfur dioxide (SO2), Carbon monoxide (CO), Ozone (O3), Suspended particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5), Nitrogen Oxides (NOX), Nitric Oxide (NO), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Total Hydrocarbons (THC), Non-Methane Hydrocarbons (NMHC), and Methane(CH4). Weather monitoring items: temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, and rainfall. |
III. Summary of Main Monitoring Pollutants
The main monitoring pollutants are PM10, SO2, NOX, CO , and O3.
PM10: PM10 is used to describe particle a diameter of 10 micrometers or less. Sources of particle matter can be dust of street, burning of fossil fuels in vehicles, open combustion, construction works, and agriculture plowing…etc. sometimes it is secondary particles derive from the oxidation of primary gases pollutant. It can settle in the lungs since its radius is smaller than 10 microns. If other pollutants adhere to those particles, it will reinforce harmfulness to the respiratory system.
SO2: In addition to occur naturally, sulfur dioxide generate from combustion of petroleum or coal. It is a colorless gas with a penetrating odor, can easily dissolves in the water to form sulfurous acid. It can oxidize to the sulfate in the air that is the main substance that causes the acid rain.
NOX: NOX is a generic term for nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide (NO and NO2). Its generating from burning process that oxidizes of the nitrogen in the air or nitrides in fuel. Nitric oxide is a kind of colorless and smells-less gas, slightly dissolving in the water. The major product of burning process is oxide, and it can react into nitrogen dioxide in the photochemical reaction. Nitrogen dioxide is a kind of red-brown gas with stimulative smell, easily dissolving in the water to form nitrous acid and nitric acid. Through photochemical reaction, it can be decomposed to nitric oxide and oxygen after desorbing sunlight. Oxidization of nitrate is one of the factors to cause acid rain.
CO: In addition to occur naturally such as forest fires, methane oxidization, and living creature activities, carbon monoxide generates from the incomplete combustion of the petrochemical fuels. It is colorless, smell-less and lighter than air. As the affinity between carbon monoxide and hemoglobin is hundreds times stronger than the affinity between hemoglobin and oxygen, it will decreases the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood and inhibits the transport, delivery, and utilization of oxygen for tissues of human and animals, then cause the carbon monoxide poisoning.
O3: Ozone is one kind of second pollutant that generates from nitrogen oxides or reactive hydrocarbon after they activated by the sunlight. It is a highly active oxidization gas, and stimulative to respiratory system that will cause cough, asthma, headache, weariness, and lung injury, especially affect children, the old, patients, and outdoor exerciser. Furthermore, it is harmful to the plants and crop, and is also harmful to artificial material such as rubber (tires…etc.) and paints.
PM10: PM10 is used to describe particle a diameter of 10 micrometers or less. Sources of particle matter can be dust of street, burning of fossil fuels in vehicles, open combustion, construction works, and agriculture plowing…etc. sometimes it is secondary particles derive from the oxidation of primary gases pollutant. It can settle in the lungs since its radius is smaller than 10 microns. If other pollutants adhere to those particles, it will reinforce harmfulness to the respiratory system.
SO2: In addition to occur naturally, sulfur dioxide generate from combustion of petroleum or coal. It is a colorless gas with a penetrating odor, can easily dissolves in the water to form sulfurous acid. It can oxidize to the sulfate in the air that is the main substance that causes the acid rain.
NOX: NOX is a generic term for nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide (NO and NO2). Its generating from burning process that oxidizes of the nitrogen in the air or nitrides in fuel. Nitric oxide is a kind of colorless and smells-less gas, slightly dissolving in the water. The major product of burning process is oxide, and it can react into nitrogen dioxide in the photochemical reaction. Nitrogen dioxide is a kind of red-brown gas with stimulative smell, easily dissolving in the water to form nitrous acid and nitric acid. Through photochemical reaction, it can be decomposed to nitric oxide and oxygen after desorbing sunlight. Oxidization of nitrate is one of the factors to cause acid rain.
CO: In addition to occur naturally such as forest fires, methane oxidization, and living creature activities, carbon monoxide generates from the incomplete combustion of the petrochemical fuels. It is colorless, smell-less and lighter than air. As the affinity between carbon monoxide and hemoglobin is hundreds times stronger than the affinity between hemoglobin and oxygen, it will decreases the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood and inhibits the transport, delivery, and utilization of oxygen for tissues of human and animals, then cause the carbon monoxide poisoning.
O3: Ozone is one kind of second pollutant that generates from nitrogen oxides or reactive hydrocarbon after they activated by the sunlight. It is a highly active oxidization gas, and stimulative to respiratory system that will cause cough, asthma, headache, weariness, and lung injury, especially affect children, the old, patients, and outdoor exerciser. Furthermore, it is harmful to the plants and crop, and is also harmful to artificial material such as rubber (tires…etc.) and paints.
IV. Equipment of Monitoring Station &Monitoring Ways
During the explanation, we practically
understood the equipment in monitoring station. It looked like a small monitoring
station from its appearance, but there was professional equipment inside, and the
electronic equipment was responsible for specific monitoring pollutant. Monitoring
staffs would come here to maintain the equipment regularly every month. They
were professional and dedicated to all work, including equipment monitoring, sampling
analysis technology of standard air, data processing procedure, test and inspection,
and we admired them sincerely. In the end, Mr. Chen taught us to visit EPA
website to see the statistics, and we just knew that general public could see
the information in open on the website and get the first-hand information at
any time.
Outside Equipment:
Inside Equipment:
V. Reflection
For
the interview in Hsien-Hsi Station, we have written worksheet which helped us get
basic understanding of air pollution inspection in advance to make us get up to
speed in the shortest time when the staff explained. We have known better about
the functions of monitoring station, purpose of setting, types of monitoring
station, material measuring and inspection equipment. To make us more impressed
and get deep understanding of it, we got into laboratory to see equipment
practically. The inspection material, equipment maintenance and statistics are
important data to understand our environment, and it helped us know how
important it is to protect it. With these stations, we could control well on
the changes of environment at any time, and when there are damages to environment
we could make remedy as soon as possible. When we could understand the
environment situation all times, we could avoid the permanent destructions on
it.
Reference (Traditional Chinese Websites)
- 空氣污染指標-行政院環境保護署,http://taqm.epa.gov.tw/taqm/zh-tw/default.aspx
- 線西空氣品質觀測站-行政院環境保護署,http://edw.epa.gov.tw/ResultAirSite.aspx?siteid=247