Minor eruptions occurred on Thursday at Mt. Kanlaon, says Phivolcs. (INQUIRER PHOTO)
The air quality in the town of Balamban in west Cebu, which is located across Mount Kanlaon in Negros, has remained normal.
The result of the first 24-hour air quality test conducted last Thursday by the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB-7) in the town showed an average reading for particulate matter 2.5 at only 22.7 micrograms per cubic meter.
Engineer Cindylyn Pepito, chief of the EMB-7 air quality division, said the standard is 50 micrograms per cubic meter.
However, EMB-7 monitored an increase to 83 and 52 micrograms per cubic meter with a windspeed of 0.7 meters per second7 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Thursday.
“We can’t say yet if this is haze or particulates coming from Mount Kanlaon. It’s just fine dust. This is the first 24-hour reading. We need the one week results,” she told Cebu Daily News.
She said the increase might have been caused by a localized source like vehicle emission and temperature.
EMB-7 air quality personnel went to Balamban town to place an Environmental Beta Attenuation Monitor (E-BAM) equipment at the town hall’s rooftop.
This is to check if the town has been affected by Mount Kanlaon’s eruption of ashes and smoke since the other day.
Oscar Tabada, chief of Pagasa Visayas, said that so far there were no signs that Cebu has been affected because of the east north east winds.
“Ang hangin padulong sa Negros ug Palawan (Wind direction is towards Negros and Palawan),” Tabada told Cebu Daily News.