PM2.5 levels hit 471 as haze situation worsens

Today Online 20 Oct 15;

SINGAPORE/JAKARTA — The haze situation took a turn for the worse last night (Oct 19), with both PM2.5 and three-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) readings shooting up.

PM2.5, fine particulate matter that is the pollutant of concern during the haze, rocketed from 35 to 164 microgrammes per cubic metre at 9pm, to 55 to 442 microgrammes per cubic metre at 10pm. By 11pm, one-hour PM2.5 levels reached 471 in western Singapore — the highest level recorded so far this year.

The three-hour PSI, meanwhile, also surged to from 96 at 9pm to 209 at 11pm. The National Environment Agency (NEA), in its evening update, said hazy conditions can still be expected today, with the 24-hour PSI expected to be in the low to mid section of the unhealthy range. Reduced visibility is also expected if PM2.5 concentration levels are elevated, said NEA.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian forest fires that have caused the haze to drift across South-east Asia are spreading to new areas and are unlikely to be put out until next year, experts said yesterday. “Maybe (the fires) will last until December and January,” said Dr Herry Purnomo, a scientist at the Indonesia-based Center for International Forestry Research, adding that hot spots had reached Papua, a region that is usually spared the widespread fires.

A senior official at a company active in Indonesia’s forested areas told Reuters the haze could continue until March. Indonesia usually enters its wet season in October and November, but this year the country is expected to face moderate El Nino dry conditions, which could strengthen until December and may hinder efforts to control the fires.

Associate Professor Matthias Roth, from the National University of Singapore’s Geography Department, said that assuming that the fires continue to burn, whether Singapore will be affected depends mainly on wind direction and rain.

“We are currently at the tail end of the south-west monsoon season, which is characterised by southerly winds ... As we are now experiencing, whenever the wind direction changes towards the south-west, Singapore becomes heavily affected by the smoke haze from the fires in Sumatra,” he said. “As we enter the inter-monsoon season, which lasts approximately from October to November, the wind direction becomes more variable and hence there should be lesser occurrences of haze.”

By December, the north-east monsoon season will set in, and the prevailing winds will carry the haze from Sumatra away from Singapore.

WITH AGENCIES


Haze worsens on Monday night
Today Online 19 Oct 15;

SINGAPORE — The haze in Singapore took a turn for the worse tonight (Oct 19), with both one-hour PM2.5 and three-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) readings shooting up. At 11pm, the one-hour PM2.5 concentration reached 471 µg/m3 in the west region, the highest recorded so far for this year.

The one-hour PM2.5, which is fine particulate matter, rocketed from 35 to 164 microgrammes per cubic metre (µg/m3) at 9pm, to 55 to 442 µg/m3 at 10pm. The worst-hit was western Singapore, followed by the southern areas.

At 11pm, the one-hour PM2.5 was 35 - 471µg/m3, with the western Singapore at 471µg/m3, southern Singapore at 301µg/m3 and central Singapore at 138µg/m3.

The NEA in an update said that the sharp deterioration in haze conditions in several regions of Singapore, from about 9pm, was due to denser haze from the sea areas south of Singapore being blown in by the prevailing south-southeasterly winds. "The current haze conditions are expected to gradually improve over the next few hours," said the NEA.

The NEA said on its website that the 1-hour PM2.5 concentrations reflect the PM2.5 levels averaged over one hour, and can give an indication of the current air quality. However, the one -hour PM2.5 concentration levels can be volatile and tend to fluctuate over the day especially during periods of transboundary haze. Short-term fluctuations will also be very heavily influenced by weather conditions.

The three-hour PSI, meanwhile, also surged to 152 at 10pm from 96 as at 9pm. At 11pm, the three-hour PSI breached the 200-mark, at 209. The 24-hour PSI at 11pm was 104-152, which is in the unhealthy range.

Earlier in the day, a shift in the prevailing winds brought about an improvement in the haze situation.

The National Environment Agency (NEA), in its evening update, said hazy conditions can still be expected tomorrow, with the 24-hour PSI expected to be in the low to mid section of the unhealthy range. Reduced visibility is also expected if PM2.5 concentration levels are elevated, said the NEA.

A total of 233 hotspots were detected in Sumatra today. Moderate to dense smoke haze is still persisting in parts of central and southern Sumatra, and some haze from Kalimantan is also observed to have spread to the sea areas southeast of Singapore, said the NEA.

Given the air quality forecast for the next 24 hours, the NEA advised healthy persons to reduce prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion. The elderly, pregnant women and children should minimise prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion, while those with chronic lung or heart disease should avoid prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion. Persons who are not feeling well, especially the elderly and children, and those with chronic heart or lung conditions, should seek medical attention.


Singapore troops in Indonesia have put out 35 hotspots: Ng Eng Hen
The Defence Minister says 40 SAF and SCDF troops on the ground have performed 47 water-bombing operations since they were deployed on Oct 10.
Channel NewsAsia 19 oct 15;

SINGAPORE: The Singapore team helping to fight haze-causing fires in Indonesia has so far performed 47 water-bombing operations and put out 35 hotspots, said Dr Ng Eng Hen on Monday (Oct 19). The team was deployed to Palembang nine days ago with the Republic of Singapore Air Force's Chinook helicopter.

In a Facebook post, the Defence Minister said it has been a "team effort", adding that altogether there are 40 SAF and SCDF troops on the ground, including a National Serviceman who had volunteered for what has been dubbed Mission Persistence.
"Well done and keep it up," said the minister.

"They know the task is difficult and that it is hard to put out fires without the help of rain. But the SAF's presence as part of a multinational effort does send a strong signal that there is international attention and support as Indonesia seeks to address the problem of transboundary haze which has affected many neighbouring countries," he added.

Dr Ng said Singapore will continue to work with Indonesia to tackle the haze situation in Palembang.

- CNA/hs