Channel NewsAsia 11 Mar 14;
SINGAPORE: From May 1, Singapore will see more days with the air quality being classified as in the “moderate” range, as concentrations of smaller polluting particles of PM2.5 will be included in the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) readings.
"As a result of PM2.5 being incorporated into the PSI, more days will be classified as 'moderate' compared to before, even though the actual concentration of pollutants has not changed.
"This is purely due to the integration of the PM2.5 concentrations into the PSI scale," the National Environment Agency (NEA) said in a statement on Tuesday.
NEA added that people can carry on normal activity if air quality is in the “good” or “moderate” range and there will be no change to normal routines on the ground.
PM2.5 are tiny particles that can travel deep into the respiratory tract, and get embedded in lung tissue.
It is currently reported separately from the PSI.
Minister for Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan on Tuesday told Parliament that Singapore will move to an integrated air quality reporting index, where PM2.5 will be incorporated into the current PSI as its sixth pollutant parameter.
In explaining the change, Dr Balakrishnan said as far as public health is concerned, PM2.5 concentrations are more often a cause for concern.
He said the move would also simplify the air quality reporting system.
Going forward, he said PM2.5 levels are expected to determine the PSI "almost all the time".
Dr Philip Koh, chairman of the medical board at Healthway Medical Group, said: "Previously, when we had both the PSI and PM2.5 indices, there was some confusion. Air quality is reflected in such a way that people are only concerned about how does the air quality affect their health.
"If the more hazardous element is incorporated into the PSI, then they will be able to see that 'oh the higher PSI, now actually gives a better reflection of the hazard it has on my health'."
Since August 24, 2012, NEA has been reporting 24-hour PM2.5 concentrations alongside the PSI, which was done as the first step in the transition to the new air quality reporting system.
NEA will now complete the transition by incorporating the 24-hour PM2.5 concentrations into the PSI.
From May 1, the PSI will reflect a total of six pollutants -- sulphur dioxide (SO2), particulate matter (PM10) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO) and ozone (O3).
The 3-hour PSI will also take into account PM2.5 concentrations.
NEA will also publish the 1-hour PM2.5 concentrations every hour.
Previously, health advisories issued by the government were based on 24-hour PSI and 24-hour PM2.5, whichever was worse.
Under the new air quality reporting system, the health advisory will be based on the new 24-hour PSI as it now directly takes into account PM2.5.
NEA said air quality information will be reported every hour from 7am to 11pm during non-haze periods, and around the clock during haze periods.
The information will be made available on the NEA website, the haze microsite, NEA Facebook, NEA Twitter and smart phone app, MyENV.
NEA will continue to regularly review Singapore's air quality reporting index to ensure that it remains a relevant and useful guide for the public to help plan their daily activities.
Dr Balakrishnan also announced the setting up of an International Advisory Panel on transboundary pollution, which will be co-chaired by Professor S Jayakumar and Professor Tommy Koh.
The panel would advise the government on trends and developments in international law on transboundary pollution, as well as solutions and practical steps Singapore can adopt.
Dr Balakrishnan said that beyond a bilateral and multilateral approach, effective enforcement is also needed on the ground.
- CNA/nd/ac
Hazy conditions back in S’pore with 3-hour PSI hitting 84
Chitra Kumar Channel NewsAsia 11 Mar 14;
SINGAPORE: Weather conditions became hazy in Singapore on Tuesday, with the 3-hour PSI reading at 8pm hitting 84, the highest for the year.
By 9pm, the level dropped slightly to 76.
The 3-hour readings were in the good range for most of the day, only crossing into the moderate range at around 4pm (52).
The National Environment Agency said the haze on Tuesday can be attributed to hotspots in southern Johor, blown in by prevailing northeasterly winds.
The number of hotspots in Peninsular Malaysia was 149, up from 86 on Monday.
In Sumatra, 259 hotspots were detected on Tuesday, compared with 228 on Monday.
Smoke plumes and haze were visible from some of the hotspots.
NEA said the haziness should gradually improve overnight, and that the weather is expected to be fair and warm for the next few days.
But hazy conditions can also be expected if the hotspots in Johor persist.
Environment and Water Resources Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan said on Tuesday that Singapore will contact the Malaysian authorities and offer assistance, if needed, to fight the fires in south Johor.
Writing on his Facebook page, Dr Balakrishnan said: "The haze worsened this afternoon, this time due to fires in south Johor.
“We expect the situation to improve during the night, but high moderate haze is expected to persist for the next few days as northeasterly winds blow smoke from increasing hotspots in Malaysia. We will try to contact the Malaysian authorities, and offer assistance if needed."
- CNA/gn
PSI to include fine particulate matter
Neo Chai Chin Today Online 12 Mar 14;
SINGAPORE — The Republic could experience many more days of “moderate” air quality from May, despite the air being no more polluted than the past. This is because levels of fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, will be incorporated into the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI).
The change will mean more integrated air quality reporting, said Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan yesterday, as he announced several measures — targeting vehicular emissions, fuel quality and transboundary haze — to improve air quality here.
PM2.5, or the concentration of particles smaller than 2.5 microns, is currently reported separately from the PSI. The PSI includes levels of PM10 (coarser particulate matter), sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone and nitrogen dioxide. When PM2.5 becomes the additional parameter, it is likely to be the key pollutant setting the index — which reflects whichever pollutant is most significant — almost all the time, said Dr Balakrishnan.
PM2.5 levels of 18 to 42 micrograms per cubic metre at 8pm last night would be considered moderate under the enhanced PSI. According to the National Environment Agency, the Republic’s PM2.5 levels over the past five years would have put the PSI here in the “moderate” range more than 90 per cent of the time, in contrast to more than 90 per cent of days in the “good” range under the current index.
The move towards integrated air quality reporting was welcomed by respiratory and climate change experts. PM2.5 comprises mainly water, sulphates, acids, nitrates, organic carbon and trace metals, and can penetrate deep into the lungs. Short-term exposure can cause respiratory tract symptoms such as cough, wheezing and shortness of breath, while long-term exposure can cause a gradual decline of lung function, said Dr Jason Phua, head of the National University Hospital’s Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine Division.
There is increasing research that correlates PM2.5 with overall mortality, since small particles do not get filtered out by upper airways and, as a result, penetrate into the deep recesses of the lungs, triggering heart attacks, said Associate Professor Philip Eng of Mount Elizabeth Hospital.
Air pollutants and climate change expert Jason Blake Cohen, of the National University of Singapore, said PM2.5 is an important air pollutant and should be factored into the PSI, which is a good tool to inform the public about air quality hazards as it uses a single number and is easy to understand.
The main sources of PM2.5 in Singapore are industrial activities, emissions from older vehicles, ships and, when they occur, forest or plantation fires. PM2.5 is a standard measurement preferred by scientists and researchers because equations used for air quality indices may vary across countries and there is “more than one way you can come up with the same number”, said Asst Prof Cohen.
Giving an update on Singapore’s efforts to tackle transboundary haze — which caused the three-hour PSI to creep up to 84 at 8pm last night — Dr Balakrishnan said no concession maps for the Haze Monitoring System or information on errant companies have been forthcoming. But the Republic hopes to sign a memorandum of understanding to renew collaboration with Jambi province in Sumatra later this year.
In addition to proposed laws targeting local and foreign companies that cause the haze here, Singapore will appoint an international advisory panel on transboundary pollution. Co-chaired by former Deputy Prime Minister S Jayakumar and top diplomat Tommy Koh, it will advise the Government on trends and developments in international law relating to transboundary pollution and solutions and steps Singapore can take. The panel will make recommendations to the Government later this year.
PSI to include PM2.5 levels from May
Feng Zengkun The Straits Times AsiaOne 14 Mar 14;
SINGAPORE - From May, Singapore will have a new Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) that includes tiny, hazardous particles referred to as PM2.5.
The move is timely as it gives a better picture of the toxicity of the air as the PM2.5 can enter people's lungs and blood to cause harm, said experts interviewed.
Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan said as much when he announced the change in Parliament yesterday.
"This revised single index will reflect whichever of six pollutant parameters is the worst.
"In reality, we expect the PSI will be determined almost all the time by the levels of PM2.5. As a doctor, I think this is reasonable as PM2.5 is the one we are most concerned with," he said.
Many people had called for more data on PM2.5 last year, during Singapore's worst haze episode, owing to its health impact.
Nanyang Technological University's Professor Ang Peng Hwa, who created the Haze Elimination Action Team Facebook campaign in 2007, said the new PSI "reports more accurately the situation, that PM2.5 is bad for health".
The National Environment Agency (NEA) said yesterday that based on the present PSI, each of the past five years had between 91 and 96 per cent of "good" air quality days, and just 4 to 9 per cent of "moderate" days.
But with the revised PSI, the figures would be 1 to 4 per cent of "good" days each year and 92 to 98 per cent of "moderate" days.
NEA said: "There will be no change to normal routines on the ground as people can carry on normal activity if air quality is in the 'good' or 'moderate' range."
The current PSI is calculated from the worst of five other pollutants: sulphur dioxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and particles called PM10.
Another change taking place in May is that the Government will give hourly updates that are more current on PM2.5 levels in the air.
Now, the updates are given hourly too but are averaged from readings in the previous 24 hours.
With the new hourly and more current PM2.5 updates, NEA will publish a lot more raw data that is useful for academics and scientists, Dr Balakrishnan said.
Last night, the three-hour PSI also crept up to 84 at 8pm, close to the unhealthy range. NEA said it was because of hot spots in southern Johor. The number of hot spots detected in Peninsular Malaysia rose to 149 yesterday from 86 on Monday, while those in Sumatra numbered 259, up from 228, the agency said.
New panel on transboundary pollution
Audrey Tan The Straits Times 14 Mar 14;
SINGAPORE - The Government will appoint an international panel to advise it on issues related to transboundary pollution.
The body will be co-chaired by Professor S. Jayakumar and Ambassador-at-large Tommy Koh, and will include legal experts from Singapore and overseas.
Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan told Parliament yesterday that it will provide insights on trends and developments in international law related to transboundary pollution, as well as legal issues arising from its impact.
The International Advisory Panel on Transboundary Pollution, as it will be known, will also advise the Government on solutions that Singapore can adopt.
Dr Balakrishnan urged Indonesia to ratify the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, adding that it was the "last member of ASEAN who has signed, but not ratified, the agreement".
The pact, which was signed by all 10 members in 2002, commits countries to prevent open burning, monitor prevention efforts, share information and help one another in tackling the haze.
But "ratifying an agreement on its own will also be insufficient if ground measures remain weak", Dr Balakrishnan acknowledged. He added: "Most importantly, we need effective investigation and enforcement on the ground at the source of these fires."
His remarks come at a time when air quality here - as measured by the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) - is gradually worsening as the haze returns.
Dr Balakrishnan also noted that the situation "is worse this year (compared with) last year", when Singapore experienced the worst bout of haze, with PSI readings hitting a record of 401 last June.
An unusual dry spell in Riau province in Sumatra, Indonesia, since late December has seen farmers taking the opportunity to clear land by starting fires, which are causing the haze.
But as the Indonesian authorities have yet to disclose the concession maps, the ASEAN Sub-Regional Haze Monitoring System "will not be able to achieve its intended purpose" of pinpointing companies that practise illegal land clearing activities, Dr Balakrishnan said.
He said the Transboundary Haze Pollution Bill now up for public consultation sends a signal that "irresponsible commercial actions that put the health of Singaporeans at risk" would not be condoned. The proposed legislation would hold companies or other entities liable for causing haze affecting Singapore.
Responding to a supplementary question raised by Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang GRC) on whether Singapore might consider taking action, such as international arbitration, against Indonesia, Dr Balakrishnan said that was a reason the international panel was appointed.
"We will await their deliberations and their recommendations. We will keep our options open."
