By Zaldy Comanda
Baguio City – A marked imprevement in the air quality in the central business district here during the Christmas season last year compared to the previous year because of the aggressive implementation of the total ban on the use of firecrackers, the Environment Management Bureau (EMB) Cordillera reported.
EMB officer Wilma Lagonilla said the general ambient air monitoring machine installed at Burnham Park recorded the fair range of air quality in the city, 95 micrograms per cubic meter for PM 10 and 33 micrograms per cubic meter for PM 2.5 on midnight of December 31, 2017.
She said that in 2016, the ambient air monitoring machine was able to record the worst air quality in the city on December 22, 2016 where its reading reached 160 micrograms per cubic meter for PM 10 and 43 micro grams per cubic meter for PM 2.5
The EMB-Cordillera official explained that the PM 10 ambient air monitoring machine records course samples of pollutants in the city’s air while the PM 2.5 ambient air monitoring machine is able to record fine particulars in the air.
Lagonilla, however, pointed out that the pollutants in the city’s air could not only be attributed to the use of firecrackers and pyrotechnic materials for the Yuletide revelries because there are more pollutants from the smoke coming from motor vehicles, among others.
Under the prevailing national ambient air quality standards, the range of 0-50 micrograms per cubic meter of PM 10 is classified as good air quality, the range from 51-150 micrograms per cubic meter of PM 10 is fair while the range from 151-300 micrograms per cubic meters is unhealthy.