Republic of the Philippines

City Government of Puerto Princesa

CITY ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES OFFICE
3rd Floor Puerto Princesa City Hall, Bgy. Sta. Monica
Puerto Princesa City, Philippines 5300
Tel. No. (048) 717 – 8041

DATE : April 12, 2021

FOR : ATTY. CARLO B. GOMEZ

CG Department Head II
City Environment and Natural Resources Office
City Government of Puerto Princesa

FROM : ARNOLD L. IBAÑEZ

Laborer 1
Clean Air Management Program

SUBJECT : AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STATUS REPORT JANUARY – FEBRUARY 2021

BACKGROUND

1. AIR QUALITY
1.1. SOURCES OF AIR POLLUTION
Air pollution is a mixture of solid particles and gases in the air. Car emissions, chemicals
from factories, dust, pollen and mold spores may be suspended as particles. Ozone, a gas,
is a major part of air pollution in cities. When ozone forms air pollution, it is called smog.

Some air pollutants are poisonous. Inhaling them can increase the chance you will have
health problems. People with heart or lung disease, older adults and children are at greater
risk from air pollution. Air pollution is not just outside - the air inside buildings can also
be polluted and affect your health. (Source: US Environmental Protection Agency)

For management purposes, air pollution sources can be classified as stationary, mobile or
area, as described in RA 8749 ("Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999”).

1.2. AIR POLLUTANT

These six (6) pollutants (Carbon Monoxide (CO), Lead (Pb), Nitrogen Oxide (NO), Ozone
(O3) Particulate Matter (PM) of different size fractions and Sulfur Dioxide (SO 2)) are
common in outdoor air and can harm human health and the environment.
1.2.1. Sulfur dioxide (SO2)

A colorless, bad-smelling, toxic gas is part of a larger group of chemicals referred to

as sulfur oxides (SOx). These gases, especially SO2, are emitted by the burning of
fossil fuels — coal, oil, and diesel — or other materials that contain sulfur. Sources
include power plants, metals processing and smelting facilities, and vehicles. Diesel
vehicles and equipment have long been a major source of sulfur dioxide. Sulfur
dioxide is also a natural byproduct of volcanic activity.

Like nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide can create secondary pollutants once released
into the air. Secondary pollutants formed with sulfur dioxide include sulfate aerosols,
particulate matter, and acid rain.
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2. AIR QUALITY MONITORING
To know exactly what is in the air you are breathing, you need to monitor the air where you
are. Monitoring air pollutants is important to understand the impact of policy changes.
Monitoring helps in assessing the level of pollution in relation to the ambient air quality
standards. Standards are a regulatory measure to set the target for pollution reduction and
achieve clean air.
Puerto Princesa City ENRO’s City Ambient Air Monitoring System is equip with Teledyne
Advanced Pollution Instrumentation. The Model T100 SO2 analyzer has been developed
specifically to address the challenges of low-level monitoring as required. It uses the proven
UV fluorescence principle, and it designed to allow ultra-sensitive Sulfur Dioxide
(SO2) measurements while still meeting the requirements for use as a US EPA and DENR-
EMB Standards compliance analyzer.

Figure 1. Teledyne Advanced Pollution Instrumentation Model T100 SO2 analyzer

3. AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STATUS

3.1. Based on data gathered during continuous ambient air quality monitoring at Mendoza Park
for the period of January 1 – 31, 2021, the highest amount of Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
recorded was on January 2, 2021 (See Figure 2). It logged at 7 pm and had an SO2 value
of 385.096 ppb (0.3851 ppm). (See Figure 3 and Table 1)

Figure 2. Amount of Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) for the period of January 1 – 31, 2021

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 Figure 3. Amount of Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) in January 2, 2021

Table 1. Amount of Sulfur Dioxide (SO) per hour, total and Average in January 2, 2021

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3.2. From January 1 to January 7, 2021, data shows that the weekly average of SO2 is 38.347
ppb (0.038347 ppm) (See Table 2 and Figure 4) and a monthly average of 11.949 ppb
(0.011949 ppm). (See Table 3)

Table 2. Weekly Average from January 1-7, 2021

Figure 4. Weekly Average of Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) for the period of January 1 - 7, 2021

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 Table 3. Monthly Average of Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) for January 2021

3.3. The following data recorded during continuous ambient air quality monitoring at Mendoza
Park for the month of February 2021.

Highest amount of Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) recorded

Date: February 2, 2021 (See Figure 5)
Time: 3:00 pm (See Figure 6 and Table 4)
SO2 Value: 36.64 ppb (0.03664 ppm) (See Figure 6 and Table 4)
24-Hour
Average
SO2 Value: 10.46 ppb (0.01046 ppm) (See Table 4)

(Note: The operation of the City Ambient Air Monitoring System was on February 2 and 3
2021 only. The monitoring system was shut down on February 3 to the present because the
air conditioning system requires a maintenance check-up. The request for aircon
technician has already been forwarded to GSO.)

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Figure 5. Amount of Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) for the month of February 2021

Figure 6.Amount of Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) in February 2, 2021

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 Table 4. Daily Average of Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) for February 2, 2021

4. WHAT ARE PPM and PPB?

4.1. PPM and PPB are units used in atmospheric chemistry to describe the concentration of gases.

4.1.1. PPM
This is an abbreviation for "parts per million" and it can be expressed as milligrams
per liter (mg/L). This measurement is the mass of a chemical or contaminate per
unit volume of water. Seeing ppm or mg/L on a lab report means the same thing.
One ppm is equivalent to the absolute fractional amount multiplied by one million.

Parts per Million:

• 1 milligram/kilogram (mg/kg) = 1ppm
• 1 milligram/litre (mg/l) = 1ppm
• 1 microgram/gram (µg/g) = 1ppm
• 1ppm = 1,000ppb

4.1.2. PPB

A weight-to-weight ratio used to describe concentrations. Parts per billion (ppb) is the
number of units of mass of a contaminant per 1000 million units of total mass.
Also µg/L or micrograms per liter.
PPB (or ppb) often used to describe concentrations of contaminants in air (as a
volume fraction). In this case, the conversion of ppb to µg/m 3 depends on the
molecular weight of the contaminant.
Parts per Billion:
• 1 microgram/kilogram (µg/kg) = 1ppb
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 • 1 microgram/litre (µg/l) = 1ppb
• 1 microgram/gram (µg/g) = 1ppb
• 1 microgram/cubic meter (µg/m3) = 1 ppb
• 1ppb = 0.001 ppm

PPM stands for parts of gas per million parts of air, and PPB is parts per billion. If that is
not easy to imagine, try these examples:
Part per million (ppm):
• 1 inch in 16 miles.
• 1 second in just under 2 weeks.
• 1 minute in 2 years.
• 1 litre of water in a swimming pool.
Part per billion (ppb):
• 1 pinch of salt in 10 tons of potato chips
• 1 second in 32 years.
• 1 ml of water in a swimming pool.
The reason gases measured at these levels, is that a small amount of some gases can have
a very large effect.
Source: GreenFacts

5. CRITERIA POLLUTANTS
Criteria pollutants are air pollutants for which National Ambient Air Quality Guideline Values
have been established. These pollutants and their guideline values are shown in Table 5.

Averaging Microgram/Normal Parts per

Pollutants Time cubic Meter million
(µg/Nm3) (ppm)
Suspended Particulate 24 - hour 230
Matter (TSP) 1 Year 90
Particulate Matter 24 - hour 150
(PM10) 1 Year 60
Particulate Matter 24 - hour 50
(PM2.5) 1 Year 25
24 - hour 180 0.07
Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
1 Year 80 0.03
1 - hour -
Nitrogen Dioxide
24 - hour 150 0.08
(NO2)
1 Year -
1 - hour 140 0.07
Ozone (O3)
8 - hour 60 0.03
Carbon Monoxide 1 - hour 35 30
(CO) 8 - hour 10 9
3 Months 1.5
Lead (Pb)
1 Year 1
Table 5. National Ambient Air Quality Guideline Values (NAAQGV) from RA 8749

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 6. AIR QUALITY INDEX
A complex relationship between air pollution levels and exposure exists. However, the public
needs to be well informed of their ill health effects in a manner that is both simple and accurate.
To protect public health, safety and general welfare, a set of pollution standard index of air
quality, called the Air Quality Index (AQI) was formulated in line with Part II, Rule VII,
Section 4 of RA 8749 IRR. For the six criteria pollutants, the air quality can be described in
terms of six levels depending on pollutant concentration: Good, Fair, Unhealthy for sensitive
groups, Very unhealthy, Acutely unhealthy and Emergency. Table 6 summarizes the AQI
applied in the Philippines.

Unit, Unhealthy
Very Acutely
Pollutant Averaging Good Fair for Sensitive Emergency
Unhealthy Unhealthy
Time Groups

Suspended
* µg/Nm3,
Particulate Matter 0 - 80 81 – 230 231 – 349 340 – 599 600 – 899 900 and greater
24 – hr.
(TSP)
Particulate Matter * µg/Nm3,
0 - 54 55 – 154 155 – 254 255 – 354 355 – 424 425 - 504
(PM10) 24 – hr.
Sulfur Dioxide ppm,
0.000 – 0.034 0.035 - 0.144 0.145 - 0.224 0.225 – 0.304 0.305 – 0.604 0.605 – 0.804
(SO2) 24 – hr.
Ozone (O3) ppm, a
0.000 – 0.064 0.065 - 0.084 0.085 - 0.104 0.105 – 0.124 0.125 – 0.374
8 – hr.
ppm,
- - 0.125 - 0.164 0.165 – 0.204 0.205 – 0.404 0.405 – 0.504
1 – hr.
Carbon Monoxide ppm,
0.0 – 4.4 4.5 - 9.4 9.5 - 12.4 12.5 – 15.4 15.5 – 30.4 30.5 – 40.4
(CO) 8 – hr.
Nitrogen Dioxide ppm, b b b b
0.65 – 1.24 1.25 – 1.64
(NO2) 1 – hr.
Table 6. Air Quality Index (AQI) breakpoint, Annex of RA 8749 IRR
Legend:
*Microgram/Normal cubic Meter
a = When 8-hour O3 concentrations exceed 0.374 ppm AQI values of 301 or higher must be calculated
with 1-hour O3 concentrations.
b = Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) has no 1-hour term National Ambient Air Quality Guideline (NAAQG)

Caution TSP, PM10, SO2, Ozone and NO2 CO

None GOOD FAIR GOOD FAIR
People with respiratory disease, such as
Unhealthy for sensitive Group
asthma, should limit outdoor exertion.
Pedestrians should avoid heavy traffic areas. Very Unhealthy
People with heart or respiratory disease, Very Unhealthy
such as asthma, should stay indoors and rest
as much as possible.
Acutely
Unnecessary trips should be postponed.
Unhealthy
Acutely
People should voluntarily restrict the use of Very Unhealthy
Unhealthy
Vehicles.
People should limit outdoor exertion.
People with heart or respiratory disease,
such as asthma, should stay indoors and rest
as much as possible.
Motor vehicle use may be restricted.
Acutely Unhealthy Acutely Unhealthy
Industrial activities may be curtailed.

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Location map of monitoring station of Puerto Princesa City Ambient Air Monitoring System N

LEGEND:
City Ambient Air Monitoring Station

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