Metro Manila air pollution exceeds normal quality – EMB

MANILA, Philippines —  Air pollution in Metro Manila exceeded the normal guideline value by 160 percent as haze enveloped skies amid the New Year’s Eve revelry, the Environmental Management Bureau said yesterday.

EMB Air Quality Management Section chief Jundy del Socorro said the agency recorded both high levels of particulate matter (PM10) and ground-level upwind particulate matter (PM2.5).

“During the New Year celebration, the level of concentration of pollution increased. The EMB measures fine particles such as PM10 and PM2.5. We observed that from 12 midnight until 2 a.m., the quality of air exceeded the guideline values by 160 percent,” Del Socorro said.

He said the allowable guideline value for PM10 is only 150, but it reached 390 during the New Year revelry.

“In terms of PM2.5, which is the destructive fine particles, the guideline value is only 35, but it reached as high as 186,” Del Socorro noted.

He said the air was not only polluted as the firecrackers used during the New Year revelry contained toxic substances.

“The colors that the firecrackers produce have toxic substances. These are heavy metals mixed with fine particles,” he said.

Sen. Loren Legarda, meanwhile, urged authorities to strictly implement the Clean Air Act after Metro Manila’s air quality reached “very unhealthy” levels.

The EMB has said that air quality in Makati registered “acutely unhealthy.”

Pasig City recorded “unhealthy air for sensitive groups,” with 115 µg/Ncm.

Based on the monitoring of the EMB, the air quality in Makati and Pasig improved to “good” after registering 46 and 18 µg/Ncm, respectively.

Taguig registered “fair” air quality after it recorded 59 µg/Ncm.