According to DENR-EMB: Metro Manila's air quality improved from January to June 2023 | Inquirer News, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) analysis indicates that during the first half of 2023, the quality of the air in Metro Manila improved.
According to the DENR-EMB, the average amount of Particulate Matter 10 (PM10) in the air in Metro Manila from January to June was 40 micrograms per normal cubic meter (ug/ncm), which is somewhat less than the 43 ug/ncm recorded during the same time in 2022.
According to the DENR-EMB, PM10 is defined as tiny particulate that is floating in the air and measures 10 micrometers or less. Dust from roads and building sites is one source of PM10.
According to DENR-EMB: Metro Manila's air quality improved from January to June 2023 | Inquirer News, it also said that although the body may filter some of these particles, discomfort to the eyes, nose, and throat may still result.
As per the DENR-EMB report, from January to June, the average level of PM2.5 in Metro Manila dropped to 20 ug/ncm. Metro Manila's PM2.5 averaged 23 ug/ncm over the same time previous year.
It clarified that PM2.5, or particulates as small as 2.5 micrometers, are able to penetrate the circulation and lungs.
According to DENR-EMB: Metro Manila's air quality improved from January to June 2023 | Inquirer News, Gilbert Gonzales, Director of EMB and Assistant Secretary of DENR, stated that the most recent data on Metro Manila's air quality showed a notable decrease in comparison to the average PM10 and PM2.5 levels during the previous ten years.
In Metro Manila, according to DENR-EMB: Metro Manila's air quality improved from January to June 2023 | Inquirer News, he said, the average PM10 and PM2.5 levels in 2012 and 2017, respectively, were 70 and 36 ug/ncm.
Gonzales stated in a statement on November 7 that the improvement in air quality may be attributable to several causes, including modifications to motor vehicle fuel emission requirements, a rise in the use of biofuels, and stricter monitoring of emissions from factories and other industrial sites.
Nonetheless, throughout the first half of 2023, the average levels of PM10 and PM2.5 countrywide increased, according to the same DENR-EMB research.
National PM2.5 averaged 18 ug/ncm from January to June, just above the 16 ug/ncm reported in 2022. National PM10 averaged 34 ug/ncm from January to June, up from 29 ug/ncm in the same time previous year.
According to DENR-EMB: Metro Manila's air quality improved from January to June 2023 | Inquirer News, Gonzales claims that one of the main causes of air pollution is motor vehicles.
For instance, during periods of high traffic on key thoroughfares in Metro Manila, the concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 reach their peak and even above the threshold levels for ground-level ambient air quality, he added.
By scheduling travel at off-peak times, using ride-sharing services, bicycling, walking, and avoiding going out during rush hour, the public may assist improve the quality of the air, according to the DENR official.
According to DENR-EMB: Metro Manila's air quality improved from January to June 2023 | Inquirer News, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, also known as Republic Act No. 9003, forbids the open burning of agricultural and solid trash, which is another reason why Gonzales discouraged it.
