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 site over the Chung-Chi Road over bridge (CCROB) in front of Hungkuang Institute of Technology (HKIT). The sampling time was from August 1999 to December 1999. During the sampling period, Taiwanʹs biggest earthquake in more than a century registered 7.3 on the Richter scale (Taiwan Chi-Chi Earthquake). Besides, 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 concentrations were also collected then and compared with total suspended particle (TSP) in this study. The average PM2.5–10, PM2.5 and TSP concentrations are 24.6, 58.0 and 106 μg/m3, respectively, after the Taiwan Chi-Chi Earthquake. The average TSP concentrations before and after Taiwan Chi-Chi Earthquake were 70 and 127 μg/m3, respectively. It is clearly shown that the 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 the traffic site of central Taiwan. And the ratios of PM2.5/PM2.5–10, PM2.5/PM10 and PM2.5/TSP are 2.2%, 67.2%, 38.9%, respectively. The results also indicated about Chi-Chi fine particle concentration (PM2.5) and the TSP increases in the traffic site of central Taiwan after Taiwan Chi-Chi Earthquake.