The education ministry says that students in Taiwan will get “smog days”, or the day off school, when air pollutant concentrations reach unhealthy levels.
The ministry said that it will use two new air quality measurements, called PM readings, to decide when classes should be canceled. PM, or particulate matter, is mainly divided into bigger PM10 particles of up to 10 micrometers in size, and the smaller PM2.5 particles, which are about 100 times thinner than a human hair. The smaller particles are considered particularly harmful to human health because they can travel deeper into the lungs and are often more toxic than larger particles. The ministry said that students can have a “smog day” when the PM 2.5 reading exceeds 350.4 micrograms per cubic meter or when the PM 10 pollutants exceeds 500 micrograms per cubic meter.
Education ministry official Han Shan-min said that individual city and county heads can decide if schools in their district should cancel lessons if pollutant concentrations reach those thresholds.
“Originally we only used the pollutant standards index (PSI)" said Han. "Now, we have incorporated the PM10 and PM2.5 readings. If any one of the three readings reaches the threshold, city and county officials can decide if school should be canceled. But more importantly, students should take precautions against prolonged exposure to poor quality air.”
The ministry said that students should wear masks and close doors and window when the PSI level exceeds 100 for more than two hours or when PM10 readings exceeds 150 micrograms per cubic meter. When the PSI level reaches 300, PE classes should be moved to indoor venues and field trips should be canceled. Students with heart diseases, asthma, respiratory problems or allergies can stay home. But when PSI level reaches 400, city and country heads should decide if classes should be canceled.