Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/08/22
By: Chang Ming-hsuan and Joseph Yeh

Taipei, Aug. 22 (CNA) A survey on air quality in Taiwan reveals that incense-burning temples and Korean-style barbecue restaurants are among the indoor venues with the highest PM2.5 concentrations, which are harmful to people's health, a researcher said Thursday.

Chen Yu-cheng (陳裕政), an assistant investigator with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences under the National Health Research Institute (NHRI), said the NHRI has spent the past two years conducting surveys on air quality around the country, focusing on both indoor and outdoor venues, as well as means of transportation.

In the surveys, air quality is defined by the level of PM2.5 concentration.

Among the indoor venues, temples have the highest PM2.5 exposures, with their average PM2.5 concentrations reaching 62.5 micrograms per cubic meter. The second-highest average PM2.5 concentrations were in restaurants, reaching 33.9 micrograms per cubic meter, according to the survey.    [FULL  STORY]