The study of TSP, PM2.5-10 and PM2.5 during Taiwan Chi-Chi Earthquake in the traffic site of central Taiwan, Taichung

Ambient particle concentration was taken on the traffic sampling sire over; the Chung-Chi Road over bridge (CCROB) in front of Hungkuang Institute of T echnology (HKIT). The sampling time was from August 1999 to December 1999. During the sampling period, Taiwan's biggest earthquake in more than a cent ury registered 7.3 on the Richter scale (Taiwan Chi-Chi Earthquake). Beside s, there were more than 20,000 aftershocks that followed the Taiwan Chi-Chi Earthquake within three months. Thus, the PM2.5, PM2.5-10 particle concent rations were also collected then and compared with total suspended particle (TSP) in this study. The average PM2.5-10, PM2.5 and TSP concentrations ar e 24.6, 58.0 and 106 mu g/m(3), respectively, after the Taiwan Chi-Chi Eart hquake. The average TSP concentrations before and after Taiwan Chi-Chi Eart hquake were 70 and 127 mu g/m(3), respectively. It is clearly shown that th e average concentration of TSP after Taiwan Chi-Chi Earthquake was about 1. 8 times as that of TSP concentration before Taiwan Chi-Chi Earthquake in th e traffic site of central Taiwan. And the ratios of PM2.5/PM2.5-10, PM2.5/P M10 and PM2.5/TSP are 2.2%, 67.2%, 38.9%, respectively. The results also in dicated about Chi-Chi fine particle concentration (PM2.5) and the TSP incre ases in the traffic site of central Taiwan after Taiwan Chi-Chi Earthquake. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd All rights reserved.