THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) said the haze the National Capital Region (NCR) experienced on Monday was mainly due to air pollution from vehicular emissions and not vog coming from Taal Volcano.
“The current air pollution levels may be primarily attributed to emissions from heavy vehicular traffic, especially during rush hour, and the effect of thermal inversion which traps air pollutants in the surface level,” the DENR’s Haze Watch Air Quality Technical Bulletin read.
The surface wind direction is blowing from the southeast at about 8 a.m., as observed from the nearest station of PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration) located approximately 33.3 kilometers from Taal Volcano.
This means that the wind direction is away from the NCR, it added.
Meanwhile, vog was recorded in areas near the Taal Volcano which is under Alert Level 1.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recorded 3,355 tonnes/day of sulfur dioxide emissions within the area and a plume height of 2,400 meters. (PNA)
