Malaysia: ‘No manipulation of API’

MINDERJEET KAUR New Straits Times 28 Sep 15;

KUALA LUMPUR: THE Department of Environment (DoE) yesterday denied manipulating the Air Pollutant Index (API) readings, but admitted that Malaysia’s measurement of air pollution was different from Singapore’s.

This admission comes after a social media storm on Saturday when people noticed the stark difference in air pollution readings between Malaysia, especially in southern Johor, and Singapore as choking haze blanketed the two countries.

DoE director-general Datuk Halimah Hassan said the government was not watering down the API readings, and that the difference in readings stemmed from Singapore’s inclusion of a sixth parameter in determining the state of air quality.

Malaysia measures five parameters to determine API: carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide and particulate matter (PM10).

Since April last year, Singapore has included a sixth parameter, called fine particulate matter (PM2.5), when calculating its measurement of air quality, called Pollutant Standards Index (PSI).

However, Halimah denied that Malaysia’s API methodology was outdated.

“Malaysia is aware of Singapore adding the PM2.5 matter as the sixth component to calculate PSI readings.

“Our method is not old. It is just that Singapore has included a new component to its readings. We are monitoring and studying its readings,” she told the New Straits Times yesterday.

She said the department was in the final stages of working on the budget to include the sixth component in API calculations, adding that her department would release a statement on the matter today.

Singapore’s National Environment Agency website said that previously, PSI was calculated based on the average of PM10 readings over the last three hours.

Under the new system since April last year, PSI was calculated based on PM2.5 concentration levels, as it was the main pollutant of concern in haze.

Environmental Protection Society Malaysia vice-president Randolph Geremiah said Malaysia should not compare itself with other countries without understanding the different methods used by experts.

“Methods and equipment change very fast in science. But if the situation indicates that it is time to have better equipment, then it is time to have better equipment.”
Randolph said Malaysia should upgrade facilities to measure API, as haze was occurring every year.

Malaysia releases hourly API readings from 52 stations.

Singapore’s PSI readings hit the hazardous range (above 300) on Thursday evening and climbed to 341 at 5am on Friday, while in Johor Baru, API readings were in the unhealthy band of between 139 and 192.

When API readings are in the 101 to 200 band (unhealthy), people are advised to reduce prolonged or strenuous outdoor activities.

Readings of between 201 and 300 are considered very unhealthy, while readings above 300 are considered hazardous.

At noon yesterday, the DoE website listed five areas recording very unhealthy API readings.

Selangor was the worst-hit state, with Shah Alam recording an API of 272, followed by Port Klang (245) and Petaling Jaya (223). The other two areas with very unhealthy readings are Batu Muda in Kuala Lumpur (253) and Putrajaya (207).

By 6pm, the API in these five areas moved to the unhealthy band, with Shah Alam recording an API of 185, followed by Batu Muda (181), Port Klang (179), Petaling Jaya (168) and Putrajaya (165).

Another 15 areas recorded unhealthy API readings at 6pm yesterday.

They are Bukit Rambai (106) and Bandaraya Melaka (104) in Malacca; Nilai (114), Port Dickson (114) and Seremban (131) in Negri Sembilan; Jerantut (115) in Pahang; SK Jalan Pegoh, Ipoh, (115), Seri Manjung (120) and Tanjung Malim (145) in Perak; Kuching (124), Samarahan (142) and Sri Aman (172) in Sarawak; Banting (156) and Kuala Selangor (145) in Selangor; and Cheras (155) here.

The public can visit the website, apims.doe.gov.my, for the API readings.


We Benefit From A Clearer Picture, Not From A Hazy Picture
A Commentary By Sakina Mohamed Bernama 29 Sep 15;

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) -- A thick blanket of haze enveloped several parts of Malaysia last Saturday, but seemed to not be reflected in the Air Pollutant Index (API) readings online.

Unhappy Malaysians took their ire to social media, spreading claims ranging from the API reading being 12 hours behind to it being purposefully manipulated.

Further strengthening such speculation was the distinct difference between API readings in Singapore to the just neighbouring Johor.

CLEARING THE AIR

The matter was exacerbated when PKR Kelana Jaya MP Wong Chen attributed the overt discrepancy in API measurements between the two countries to Malaysia using a "lower standard of API measurement".

"Most countries, including Singapore and Indonesia now measure particulate matter of 2.5 microns or PM2.5.

"Malaysia is still measuring particulate matter of 10 microns or PM10. This practice results in overall and substantially lower measurements in Malaysia," he said in a statement.

Wong said as a result of that Malaysians would have a more positive but "illusory picture" of the nation's air quality.

The Department of Environment (DOE) has denied such claims and maintains that it has not been watering down API readings to placate the public.

Its director-general Datuk Halimah Hassan clarified that the difference in readings was due to Singapore's inclusion of a sixth parameter in determining the state of air quality.

However, it did not deny Wong's quoting of a 2012 media report that said the DOE had planned to implement the PM2.5 measure next year, under its Clean Air Action Plan.

A news report today quoted Halimah as saying that the department was in the final stages of working out the budget to include the sixth component.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT

While it is commendable for the DOE to move to a better standard of measuring air quality, we must not forget that the main concern with the haze is its impact on public health and the domino effect of that on the nation.

It is difficult for the average Malaysian to gauge the level of air quality other than concluding from what they see with their naked eye and how their bodies react to the smog.

However, the DOE has explained that visibility levels are not reflected in API readings, which only measure dust particulates smaller than PM10. So a thick haze may not be a measure of how unhealthy the air is.

Visibility levels are updated in real time while API readings are updated over a span of 24 hours. This would explain why unhealthy readings take time to show in the hourly API updates, and why visibility levels do not correspond with API readings.

Thus it is unsurprising that the majority of Malaysians rely very much on the government and its mechanisms to tell them when to don a haze mask and when to keep their children out of school.

An inaccurate or delayed reading could result in a number of things. Those unaware of an unhealthy air quality may still go about their routines without a particulate mask. Later, many of them would find themselves lining up at public hospitals seeking treatment for breathing problems.

Parents would be forced to take leave to attend to their ailing children. Companies might find some of their operations crippled due to the sudden number of employees taking leave. All of these indirectly add to the socio-economic burden of the country.

Delayed updates on API readings also pose another problem. When school closures are announced at the eleventh hour, how do parents come up with alternative arrangements for their children while they are at work?

Some parents may be lucky enough to have understanding employers and extra leave days. Others, though, may have run out of precious leave days or are simply in a work environment without leeway for such emergencies.

Some, whose employers view sudden leaves as detrimental to company productivity, may even find their jobs on the line.

The haze is a recurrent problem which root cause has yet to be tackled over the years, neither are there any indication that it would be resolved in the near future. The best that Malaysia can do is to spare no effort at employing the latest measures to alert its citizen and put them on guard, as the benefits of this move would far outweigh the costs.

(This commentary is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily reflect BERNAMA s stand or views on the matter)

-- BERNAMA

State govt allocates RM6m to build four API measuring stations in Johor
New Straits Times 29 Sep 15;

JOHOR BARU: The State Government, via the Department of Environment, has allocated RM6 million to build four more Air Pollutant Index (API) measuring stations which are expected to be ready in April.

State Health and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat said the construction of the stations would increase the number of stations in the state to eight and boost the effectiveness of the information service to the people.

“Prior to this, we only depended on mobile measuring equipment to obtain API readings for places without a station,” he said after officiating the closing of a function ‘Say No to Obesity’ at Sekolah Kebangsaan Kempas, here, today.

He said the new stations would be built after suitable sites had been identified, including in developing areas such as Pengerang, Segamat and Pontian.

Commenting on the different API readings between Malaysia and Singapore, he said the two countries did not use the same API measurements, as such the readings were not the same.
“Their readings use different calculations, Singapore is using PM2.5 while Malaysia is using PM10.

“Singapore is also using more sensitive equipment to calculate in terms of dust suspension, so the reading is also not the same,” he said.

Meanwhile, the programme saw 33 obese pupils taking part in a six-month motivation and exercise programme from March and ending this month. – BERNAMA