Department of Civil Engineering, National Central University, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan.
Research Center for Hazard Mitigation and Prevention, National Central University, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Nov 23;17(22):8691. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17228691.
In the past few years, human health risks caused by fine particulate matters (PM) and other air pollutants have gradually received attention. According to the Disaster Prevention and Protection Act of Taiwan's Government enforced in 2017, "suspended particulate matter" has officially been acknowledged as a disaster-causing hazard. The long-term exposure to high concentrations of air pollutants negatively affects the health of citizens. Therefore, the precise determination of the spatial long-term distribution of hazardous high-level air pollutants can help protect the health and safety of residents. The analysis of spatial information of disaster potentials is an important measure for assessing the risks of possible hazards. However, the spatial disaster-potential characteristics of air pollution have not been comprehensively studied. In addition, the development of air pollution potential maps of various regions would provide valuable information. In this study, Hsinchu County was chosen as an example. In the spatial data analysis, historical PM concentration data from the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration (TWEPA) were used to analyze and estimate spatially the air pollution risk potential of PM in Hsinchu based on a geographic information system (GIS)-based radial basis function (RBF) spatial interpolation method. The probability that PM concentrations exceed a standard value was analyzed with the exceedance probability method; in addition, the air pollution risk levels of tourist attractions in Hsinchu County were determined. The results show that the air pollution risk levels of the different seasons are quite different. The most severe air pollution levels usually occur in spring and winter, whereas summer exhibits the best air quality. Xinfeng and Hukou Townships have the highest potential for air pollution episodes in Hsinchu County (approximately 18%). Hukou Old Street, which is one of the most important tourist attractions, has a relatively high air pollution risk. The analysis results of this study can be directly applied to other countries worldwide to provide references for tourists, tourism resource management, and air quality management; in addition, the results provide important information on the long-term health risks for local residents in the study area.
在过去的几年中，细颗粒物 (PM) 和其他空气污染物对人类健康的风险逐渐受到关注。根据台湾政府于 2017 年实施的《灾害防救法》，“悬浮微粒”已正式被认定为灾害成因危害。长期暴露在高浓度的空气污染物中会对市民的健康造成负面影响。因此，准确确定危险高水平空气污染物的空间长期分布可以帮助保护居民的健康和安全。灾害潜在空间信息的分析是评估潜在危害风险的重要措施。然而，空气污染物的空间灾害潜在特征尚未得到全面研究。此外，开发各个地区的空气污染潜在地图将提供有价值的信息。本研究以新竹县为例。在空间数据分析中，使用台湾环境保护署（TWEPA）的历史 PM 浓度数据，基于地理信息系统（GIS）-基于径向基函数（RBF）空间插值方法，分析和估计新竹的 PM 空气污染风险潜在的空间分布。采用超标概率法分析 PM 浓度超标概率；此外，确定新竹县旅游景点的空气污染风险水平。结果表明，不同季节的空气污染风险水平差异较大。最严重的空气污染水平通常发生在春季和冬季，而夏季空气质量最好。新丰和湖口乡是新竹县空气污染事件潜在风险最高的地区（约 18%）。湖口老街是最重要的旅游景点之一，空气污染风险相对较高。本研究的分析结果可直接应用于世界其他国家，为游客、旅游资源管理和空气质量管理提供参考；此外，研究结果为该地区当地居民的长期健康风险提供了重要信息。
