Scientists get a better picture of Taiwan's air quality issues thanks to a collaboration between NASA and local institutions. New methods are helping scientists and researchers understand the origins and patterns of air pollution.
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00:00We're back in smog season, when air pollution becomes a more apparent problem, especially
00:04in the industrial cities of Taiwan's south, but thanks to a research project conducted
00:08at the start of the year, scientists have a clearer picture of where this pollution
00:12comes from and why it tends to linger, a possible starting point for future environmental policies.
00:18This was an international effort, a collaboration between NASA and Taiwanese institutions.
00:23As part of a bigger Asian Air Quality Survey, NASA aircraft criss-crossed Taiwan in February
00:28and March, analyzing pollution at different altitudes.
00:31Among the takeaways, in some kinds of weather, when contrary winds blow, polluted air can
00:36get stuck, blown first one direction, then another, in an endless loop.
00:48But polluted air can still rise quite high.
00:50In some cases, air quality 200 to 500 meters up can be even worse than on the ground.
00:56Much of this pollution has been traced back to the petrochemical industry.
01:00Some scholars are already thinking about the origins of this pollution, and the need to
01:03keep them in check.
01:16And there's optimism the project's findings will lead to policy changes that will make
01:20the air better.
01:33Taiwanese academics involved in the project are also pleased with the success of Taiwan-made
01:37measuring equipment used in surveying.
01:40And they say with the project's results starting to come in, they'll be able to make more accurate
01:44models, getting a better idea of what pollutants are a problem and where they're coming from.
01:50The approach of winter means smog even in places far from the worst of the pollution,
01:54places like Taipei.
01:55With our new data in hand, though, academics and policy makers can address this bad air,
02:00helping the country breathe easier.
02:02Chris Ma and John Van Triest in Taipei for Taiwan Plus.