新作坊 Humanity Innovation and Social Practice

Abstract

In 2014, residents in the south Taiwan city of Puli endured 146 days in which the daily average PM2.5 particulate pollution value exceeded 35 μg/m3, indicating a significant deterioration in air quality. A group of citizens organized a Puli PM2.5 Air Pollution Reduction Self-help Group to make their demands known among neighborhoods and by government officials. The Shui Sha Lian Research Center for Humanities Innovation and Social Practice at National Chi Nan University (NCNU) acknowledged these appeals, and Information Management Associate Professor Rong-Fuh Day proposed the installation of PM2.5 microsensors along streets and lanes to gather air quality data. Puli citizens enthusiastically participated in the Internet of Things (IoT) system installment process, and in 2015 the township was designated by the Environmental Protection Administration as Taiwan’s first air quality IoT demonstration area. In addition to proving the capability of the system to measure air quality, the Shui Sha Lian Research Center and Professor Day succeeded in convincing local citizens to work on ways to reduce PM2.5 pollution. Together they identified an important air quality boundary: Chiufanershan, located on the city’s west side. The IoT system was shown to have strong potential to serve as a tool to be used by citizen groups working on air pollution problems and prevention programs.