Fewer vehicles, cleaner air

Last month’s “Road Revolution” activity resulted in “cleaner air,” during the daylong closure of Osmeña Boulevard to vehicles on June 12, the Environment Department reported.

Emission tests conducted from June 12 to June 17 showed a drop in the Total Suspended Particles and Particulate Matter in the air during and immediately after the activity.

Air quality in Cebu would improve with fewer vehicles on the road since that would mean “less emissions,” said Alan Arranguez of the Environmental Management Bureau.

Lawyer Tara Rama of the Law of Nature Foundation said, “We were correct that June 12 was a declaration of independence form air and traffic pollution.”

Rama said that they would send the report to the Cebu City Council where Road Revolution supporters submitted a proposed ordinance to make the road and transport system more eco-friendly.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Central Visayas conducted samplings of air quality from June 11 to June 12, June 13 to June 14 and June 15 to June 16.

Two sampling stations were set up along Osmeña Boulevard as requested by organizers of the Road Revolution, which closed the street to motor vehicles last June 12 to make way for pedestrians, bikers and skateboarders.

Results showed that the concentration of air pollutants near the Social Security System building from June 11 to June 12 was 30 micrograms per cubic meter (ug/mg3). The figure fell to 25 from June 13 to June 14 and rose to 59 from June 15 to June 16.

The standard concentration within a 24-hour average time is 150.

Near the Department of Health in Central Visayas, air pollutants were recorded at 23 on June 11 and June 12; 29 on June 13 and June 14 and 47 on June 15 and June 16.