HAZE hovering over Metro Cebu. (Cerwin Eviota)
CEBU CITY – People were urged to wear face masks due to the hazy environment over Metro Cebu in the past few days.
The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Central Visayas said that the hazy environment was linked to elevated levels of fine particulate matter (PM), particularly PM2.5.
The agency reported that the Talisay City monitoring station showed that PM2.5 level exceeded safety thresholds on Saturday, April 18.
From 101 on Friday, April 17, the Quality Index (AQI) increased to 112 at around 8 a.m. Saturday.
The increasing PM drove the AQI to “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” category, the EMB said.
The bureau advised the public, especially high-risk individuals, to wear N95 masks when going outdoors to reduce exposure to harmful particles.
Those considered at risk were children, pregnant women, older adults, and individuals with asthma or chronic heart and lung conditions.
High-risk individuals were encouraged to stay indoors.The EMB explained that the scorching temperature may have caused the hazy environment as hot weather causes pollutants to easily spread.