AMANDA LEE Today Online 25 Sep 15;
SINGAPORE — Parents welcomed the move to close primary schools and secondary schools with relief, saying that the health of their children is the top priority amid the risk of haze hitting hazardous levels.
Admin officer Noorulain Sheik Mohideen, 48, who has a son in Primary Four, said: “I’m glad the Government decided to make a wise choice. The PSI (Pollutant Standards Index) kept rising every day, I was worried because the haze can affect his health.”
Another parent, Mr Adrian Koo, who has a Primary Four son, said he was glad that schools are closed. “Now that he’s at home, my wife who is a stay-home mum can keep (tabs) on him and ensure that he doesn’t go out,” added the 38-year-old regional manager.
Most parents have also secured childcare arrangements for the one-day break.
Mdm Noorulain, for instance, is handing her son to her elder daughter, an Institute of Technical Education student who is on vacation. If schools remain close for an extended period, her neighbour could help to look after her son, she added.
Still, most parents said they would be worried if schools are still closed after the weekend, as their children’s academic progress may be affected.
Mr Koo said schools can perhaps leverage on e-learning. “It would be better that way, so my son won’t miss out much if schools continue to be closed,” he said.
With the haze hitting Singapore amid the exam season, some others are concerned about how the closure will affect the last lap of learning.
Mdm Siti Habsah, who has a Primary Six son, fretted that her son may miss out on revision classes ahead of the Primary School Leaving Examinations next week. “This is actually a very crucial period for him, I hope the schools won’t remain closed for long,” said the 37-year-old admin executive. AMANDA LEE
Schools to close on Friday due to worsening haze situation: MOE
As the haze situation in Singapore worsens, schools in Singapore will be closed on Friday (Sep 25), says the Ministry of Education.
Chan Luo Er and Leong Wai Kit, News 5 Channel NewsAsia 24 Sep 15;
SINGAPORE: As hazy conditions in Singapore continue to worsen, primary and secondary schools across the island will be closed on Friday, Sep 25, the Education Ministry announced on Thursday (Sep 24).
At a technical media briefing on Thursday evening, Education Minister Heng Swee Keat said the decision was made as a precaution, as air quality could enter Hazardous levels.
Mr Heng added that due to the late notice, parents who are unable to make alternative care arrangements can continue to send their children to school. Teachers will continue to report for duty, and students will be placed in suitable facilities such as libraries and enclosed spaces, Mr Heng said. He added that school-based student care centres will remain open.
MOE will issue press releases should there be any school closures and parents will also be informed by the schools, the ministry added. To avoid confusion, the decision from the previous day on whether to open or shut schools will stay even if there are changes to the air quality.
The Education Minister added that the GCE 'O' level practical examination for Music, originally to be held on Friday, will be rescheduled to Tuesday, Sep 29. More than 100 students are affected and are being notified by schools, while private candidates are being notified by examination boards, he said.
The Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) are also armed with haze management plans. For example, air purifiers will be provided during national examinations so that there will be no disruption should the haze worsen during the tests.
If the haze forecast for the following day indicates that air quality could be at the “hazardous” level, prompting school closures, national exams will be rescheduled. This may mean that exam periods will be extended.
The announcement on the rescheduling of examinations will be made together with any announcement by the education ministry on school closure. School candidates will be informed through their schools, while private candidates will be informed by SEAB.
When asked if there are any alternative plans for the Primary School Leaving Examinations that will be held next week should the haze persists at high levels, Mr Heng said: “We will certainly announce our plans … this is a very fast moving situation but we are prepared”.
Mr Heng also said the Early Childhood Development Agency has decided that activities in childcare centres and kindergartens will be scaled down due to the haze conditions.
"As many parents need care arrangements, all childcare and kindergartens including MOE kindergartens will continue to operate and provide care arrangements for children," said Mr Heng.
In a media statement, MOE said all Junior Colleges, Centralised Institutes, and post-secondary education institutions including universities, polytechnics and ITEs will remain open.
"Classes for these students, as well students in Year 5 and 6 of the Integrated Programme, will continue, as the students in these institutions are older, in accordance with the guidelines from MOH’s haze health advisory," MOE said.
The Education Ministry added that the post-secondary education institutions will continue to monitor the wellbeing of students and staff, and will adopt necessary mitigation measures, such as scaling down or ceasing all outdoor and indoor physical activities.
In a statement to the media, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) said lessons would also be suspended on Friday for full-time madrasahs and mosque kindergartens.
"However, the madrasahs and mosque kindergartens will still remain open. This is to enable parents who are unable to make alternative care arrangements to continue to send their children there, to be supervised by teachers," MUIS said.
WORSENING HAZE DUE TO CHANGE IN WIND DIRECTION: DR VIVIAN BALAKRISHNAN
During the technical briefing, Minister for Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan said authorities could not rule out the possibility that air quality in the next 24 hours could enter the Hazardous range.
He said worsening haze conditions were due to a tropical storm in the Western Pacific, somewhere to the east of Philippines, which caused a change in wind direction.
Dr Balakrishnan said the situation is of "special concern" as the denser part of the haze cloud is slightly to the south of Singapore. As winds continue to blow from the south and southwest, Dr Balakrishnan said the denser haze cloud is encroaching into Singapore, leading to a volatile but progressively worsening condition on Thursday.
The 24-hour PSI has been trending upwards since 6am, according to data from NEA. At 7pm on Thursday evening, the 3-hour PSI went past the 300-mark for the first time this year, coming in at 313. At 11pm, the 3-hour PSI was 317 and the 24-hour PSI was 226-279, the highest recorded 24-hour PSI this year.
AUTHORITIES TO FOLLOW UP ON ERRANT COMPANIES IDENTIFIED
Dr Balakrishnan revealed on Thursday that some errant companies have been identified, and the authorities will be following up on this.
"Basically we have identified some companies. NEA has also written to the Indonesian authorities, asking for a list of companies whom the Indonesians' investigations have shown may be implicated in this. And then pursuant to our Transboundary Haze Act, we will be issuing notices in the days to come. So, that's a separate exercise which is in progress," he said.
Dr Balakrishnan also urged Singaporeans to focus on official sources for any data on the haze.
"The key point I want to emphasise is that in fact all websites are using NEA data. And my advice to people would be to go back to the original source and the NEA website contains the hourly raw concentrations of PM2.5. That's useful for someone who's about to say, take a jog, or engage in strenuous exercise or wants to decide on whether he should do it indoors or outside, take a look at the hourly raw concentrations," he said.
"For all other activities, we need to have the 24-hour average because that's the basis in which all health advisories are made. So I think we should just use these two - look at the 24-hour indices, look at the hourly raw concentrations and then make appropriate plans."
NO NATIONAL SHUTDOWN OF WORKPLACES: LIM SWEE SAY
At the briefing, Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say said there would not be a national shutdown of workplaces. However, he said while business and work activities should carry on as normal as possible, it should not compromise the health and safety of workers.
"Individual employers will have to continue to update their risk assessment and pay particular attention to work which are strenuous and that involves prolonged outdoor work. At the same time, they should pay special attention to workers, especially the elderly, the pregnant women as well as workers with heart and lung conditions," Mr Lim said.
ELDERLY, NEEDY CAN COLLECT N95 MASKS FROM CCs
The People's Association (PA) also announced on Thursday that eligible Singaporeans can collect N95 masks from all 108 Community Centres islandwide from 10am on Friday.
Eligible Singaporeans include:
All holders of MOH's Community Health Assist Scheme CHAS) Blue card
All Pioneer Generation Card Holders
All ComCare clients above 62 years old
ComCare clients identified as having longer term medical issues, regardless of age
All Singaporean Citizens who meet the CHAS Blue Card criterion of having less than S$1,100 Household Per-Capita Income
Each eligible recipient will be given two masks, to last for a week, PA said.
ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF MASKS IN PLACE: MTI
The Ministry of Trade and Industry said on Thursday it has adequate plans in place to ensure an adequate supply of masks for bulk purchase by companies with prolonged or strenuous outdoor work.
Each company has an allocated quota specific to their needs, and they can purchase these masks from Dairy Farm Singapore, NTUC FairPrice and Unity Healthcare, MTI said.
SOME LIBRARIES TO OPEN EARLIER: NLB
In a Facebook post on Thursday, the National Library Board (NLB) said some libraries across the island would open earlier, at 9am, on Friday (Sep 25) to provide a space for members of public to stay away from the haze.
- CNA/TODAY/xq/dl
Education Ministry to provide daily updates on school operations
AMANDA LEE Today Online 25 Sep 15;
SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Education (MOE) will issue press releases should there be any school closures and parents will also be informed by the schools, the agency said yesterday as it declared an unprecedented one-day shutdown of primary and secondary schools due to the haze.
To avoid confusion, the decision from the previous day on whether to open or shut schools will stay even if there are changes to the air quality.
Meanwhile the authority overseeing preschools said that even though child care centres and kindergartens are open today, parents may still wish to take precautionary measures by keeping their children at home.
“Nevertheless all child care centres and kindergartens will remain open to provide custodial care for parents who do not have alternative care arrangements,” said the Early Childhood Development Agency in a press release last night.
As MOE kindergartens and special education schools are closed today, parents who are unable to make alternative care arrangements may also continue to send their children to the schools. Teachers will supervise them, said the education ministry, adding that school-based care centres will operate for existing students.
All Junior Colleges, Centralised Institute and Post-Education Institutes, namely the Autonomous Universities, Polytechnics and ITEs, will remain open. Due to the school closure, the GCE O-Level Music Practical and Higher Music Practical examinations which was scheduled to be held today will be moved to next Tuesday.
The school candidates will be informed through their educational institutes. Education Minister Heng Swee Keat said at a briefing yesterday that a “small number” of slightly over 100 students are affected by the change.
The MOE said primary and secondary schools have haze management plans in place and are ready to put them in place.
The Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) are also armed with haze management plans. For example, air purifiers will be provided during national examinations so that there will be no disruption should the haze worsen during the tests.
If the haze forecast for the following day indicates that air quality could be at the “hazardous” level, prompting school closures, national exams will be rescheduled. This may mean that exam periods will be extended.
The announcement on the rescheduling of examinations will be made together with any announcement by the education ministry on school closure. School candidates will be informed through their schools, while private candidates will be informed by SEAB.
When asked if there are any alternative plans for the Primary School Leaving Examinations that will be held next week should the haze persists at high levels, Mr Heng said: “We will certainly announce our plans … this is a very fast moving situation but we are prepared”.
Singapore Sports Hub suspends outdoor activities due to haze
In light of worsening haze conditions, the Singapore Sports Hub on Thursday (Sep 24) says it would be suspending outdoor activities.
Channel NewsAsia 24 Sep 15;
SINGAPORE: In light of worsening haze conditions, the Singapore Sports Hub on Thursday (Sep 24) said it would be suspending outdoor activities.
In a statement, the Singapore Sports Hub said outdoor venues would be reopened and outdoor activities will resume when air quality improves.
As of 7pm on Thursday, the 3-hour PSI climbed to 313, while the 24-hour PSI was 210-256, in the Very Unhealthy range.
The Singapore Sports Hub's statement in full:
The Singapore Sports Hub has suspended all strenuous activities at its outdoor venues due to the current deterioration of air quality. Outdoor venues that are affected include the OCBC Aquatic Centre, Splash-N-Surf and Water Sports Centre.
Members of the public who use the 100PLUS Promenade and all public precinct areas such as the outdoor basketball court and beach volleyball court are advised to take the necessary health precautions.
According to the National Environment Agency (NEA) website (www.nea.gov.sg), the 3-hr Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) at 6pm is 292, and the 24-hr PSI is 204-248, in the ‘Very Unhealthy’ range.
The Singapore Sports Hub will continue to monitor and assess the haze situation hourly. Outdoor venues will reopen and outdoor activities will resume when the air quality improves.
The public can check the Singapore Sports Hub website, Facebook and Twitter for constant updates.
- CNA/dl
Queues form for iPhone 6S launch despite worsening haze
More than 80 people formed a 100 metre-long queue outside Causeway Point Shopping Centre in Woodlands on Thursday night (Sep 24), in anticipation of the launch of the latest iPhone on Friday - despite the worsening haze.
Sherlyn Goh and Hazlina Abdul Halim, Channel NewsAsia 24 Sep 15;
SINGAPORE: A crowd of more than 80 people formed a 100 metre-long queue outside Causeway Point Shopping Centre in Woodlands as of 9pm on Thursday (Sep 24), in anticipation of the launch of the iPhone 6S on Friday - despite the worsening haze.
A group of teenagers in line told Channel NewsAsia that they expected more students to join the queue as all primary and secondary schools will be closed on Friday due to the haze.
Less than 10 per cent of those in the queue were wearing masks. A check with the Watsons and Guardian outlets in the mall found that both had run out of N95 masks for adults, while the ones for children were selling out fast.
'I JUST REALLY WANT TO GET THE PHONE'
At about 6.30am on Friday morning, more than 17 fans were seen queueing at Marina Bay Sands to buy the iPhone 6S from Singtel, one and a half hours ahead of the launch.
By 7.20am, the queue had grown to about 60 people.
The first person in line was a 31-year-old in customer service who only wanted to be known as Mr Lee. He told Channel NewsAsia he arrived at about 4.45am. “I heard (the first person in line) last year came at about 5am, so I just decided to try my luck,” he explained, adding that he intends to buy the 128GB edition of the iPhone 6S in rose gold.
When asked why he decided to join the queue despite the deteriorating air quality, he said: “I just really want to get the phone.”
For Ms Charis Ng, it is her sixth time queueing for an iPhone. The 26-year-old operations and administrations executive arrived at about 5.30am, and is second in line. She plans to get a 128GB iPhone 6S in rose gold. “I think it’s better to queue before and get the phone first, than to queue after that when the queue gets longer,” she said.
The third person in line, a 26-year-old in advertising who only wanted to be known as Mr Chua, joined the queue hours ahead of the launch as he would be starting a new job later in the day. “I was afraid the queue would be too long… it’s my first day of work and I don’t want to be too late.”
Mr Chua, who said he has been a fan of Apple phones since buying the iPhone 4S, said he liked the new Live Photo tool – where the phone would shoot an extra few seconds of video and audio when taking a photo.
The iPhone 6S will also be available from Friday in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, the United Kingdom and the United States.
- CNA/dl/xq
Haze forces closure of schools across S'pore
Joanna Seow, Lester Hio, Francis Chan, Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, The Straits Times AsiaOne 25 Sep 15;
All primary and secondary schools in Singapore have been forced to close today, after hazy conditions - the worst this year - threatened to become hazardous.
PSI levels yesterday crossed into the very unhealthy range. At 10pm, the 24-hour PSI had soared to 223- 275. Beyond 300, it is hazardous.
This is the first time Singapore's schools are being closed due to the haze.
The decision was made "given the prediction that we cannot rule out the possibility of the haze condition getting into the hazardous range," said Education Minister Heng Swee Keat last night, at a multi-agency briefing also attended by Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say.
Some GCE O-level exams set for today have been postponed, while the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) hangs in the balance, as written papers are set to begin next week.
"There will be no national shutdown of workplaces," said Mr Lim, though he added that companies should take measures to help employees, such as enforcing more frequent breaks and making work less strenuous.
The Government is also adding to earlier measures to help people cope with the haze: vulnerable and needy Singaporeans will be able to collect masks from 108 community centres islandwide from 10am to 10pm from today.
Organisations are already taking steps to safeguard members of the public and workers.
The Singapore Sports Hub, for example, suspended strenuous outdoor activities and fast-food restaurants like McDonald's and KFC halted delivery services for now.
There might be some respite over the weekend, as winds are forecast to shift.
But the hazy conditions might last for another month or more, as this is an El Nino year which could see dry weather until November, warned Dr Balakrishnan.
"Our offer of assistance to (the Indonesian authorities) is still on the table, and we still stand ready to work with our ASEAN partners to resolve this problem," he reiterated.
Foreign and Law Minister K. Shanmugam affirmed this stance and described his observations in a Facebook post last night. He wrote: "As I walked around, the impact of the haze, on people, was obvious. I was coughing, eyes itching, the heat oppressive. Our senior citizens must be feeling much worse."
Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who was visiting emergency workers in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan on Wednesday, had planned to inspect ground conditions and firefighting efforts in Sumatra yesterday but worsening conditions in Kalimantan prompted him to postpone the trip.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong reminded people to take care of their health.
In a Facebook post yesterday, he wrote: "Please drink plenty of water, and avoid going outdoors if you can. Look out for neighbours and friends, and stay safe."
Additional reporting by Francis Chan and Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja
Steps to look after those who turn up in schools
Lester Hio and Joanna Seow, The Straits Times AsiaOne 25 Sep 15;
Parents had to make alternative plans for their children last night as the haze caused primary and secondary schools around the island to be closed.
Video producer Melvyn Goh said his two daughters, who are both in primary school, will stay at home with their helper.
"Thankfully that's settled, because my wife is overseas, so if we didn't have a helper I might have had to cancel my video shoot to look after them," said the 39-year-old.
"My Primary 1 daughter is happy there's no school, but the Primary 4 one said she was 'bummed out' about it because there was a netball competition she was looking forward to."
The Ministry of Education (MOE) had prepared for such an eventuality and is keeping schools open for students who turn up, with supervisors on hand to look after them in libraries and other rooms. National examinations scheduled for today have also been postponed.
More than 100 students who were due to take the GCE O-level Music and Higher Music practical exams today will take them at 8am next Tuesday instead.
They were notified of the rescheduling by their schools yesterday while private candidates were informed by the exam board.
Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan said at a media briefing last night that there has been a general upward trend in the hourly raw concentration of PM2.5 particles, which affects the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI).
There was a brief respite over last weekend and early this week as the winds were blowing from the south and south-east.
The haze returned in force on Wednesday due to a change in wind direction because of a tropical storm in the western Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines.
The storm acts as a "low-pressure zone", said Dr Balakrishnan. That causes wind to blow from the south or south-west, sending haze from a dense haze cloud sitting slightly to the south of Singapore into the nation.
Contingency plans for national examinations are in place should haze conditions remain unhealthy orworsen. All schools have enclosed spaces for candidates to take their exams, and schools will also be provided with air purifiers so that exams are not disrupted.
"We will certainly announce our plans if we need. This is a very fast-moving situation, but we are prepared," said Education Minister Heng Swee Keat. Should the air quality enter the hazardous level resulting in further school closures, exams will be rescheduled.
Some companies possibly responsible for the haze have been identified, Dr Balakrishnan added.
The Transboundary Haze Pollution Act punishes polluters who cause haze. They can be fined up to $100,000 per day, capped at a total of $2 million.
Dr Balakrishnan said: "The National Environment Agency has written to the Indonesian authorities, asking for a list of companies whom the Indonesian investigations have shown may be implicated in this. Pursuant to our Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, we will be issuing notices in the days to come."
Delivery services and outdoor activities suspended
Lim Yi Han, Joanna Seow, Kok Xing Hui, Straits Times 25 Sep 15;
Companies providing delivery services have taken precautions against the hazy weather. One of them is food delivery platform foodpanda, which has issued N95 masks and antiseptic wet tissues to all riders.
Companies and organisations have suspended services or activities because of the haze, and made changes to help workers.
Fast-food restaurants like McDonald's and KFC, for instance, stopped their delivery services as of last night.
In a Facebook post yesterday night, McDonald's said that it will be halting delivery orders until further notice to ensure the safety of its riders. KFC also said that it will resume delivery services "as soon as condition permits".
Mr Max Loh, ASEAN and Singapore managing partner of professional services firm EY, said the firm has an ongoing flexible working programme where staff can request to work from home on an ad-hoc basis as agreed with their team leaders. "Given the current haze situation, staff can leverage this programme if they wish to minimise commuting to and from work," he said.
Professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers Singapore said that it had given staff N95 masks and stopped outdoor activities, and was ready to put additional measures in place.
The Singapore Sports Hub also suspended all strenuous activities at its outdoor venues due to the deterioration of air quality yesterday. Outdoor venues affected include the OCBC Aquatic Centre and Water Sports Centre, said the Sports Hub.
It will "continue to monitor and assess the haze situation hourly". Outdoor venues will reopen and activities will resume when the air quality improves, it added.
The haze is also taking a toll on people here.
Dr Koh Hau Tek, medical director of Parkway Shenton, said its clinics are already seeing a 15 per cent increase in the number of patients with haze-related symptoms in the last two weeks after the haze started. "In the last two days alone, we are seeing a further 5 per cent increase in such cases," he said.
"If the PSI readings remain high over the next few days, we would expect to see even more cases as the typical presentation occurs only several days after prolonged exposure to severe haze."
And Dr Yik Keng Yeong from Tan and Yik Clinic and Surgery in Bishan said he has seen about 20 per cent more patients in the last two weeks with haze-related health issues, including bronchitis, respiratory tract infection and dermatitis.
A Ministry of Health (MOH) spokesman said hospitals were asked to ensure ample circulation of clean air indoors. For naturally ventilated wards, measures including closing windows and using portable air coolers have been implemented.
Since Sept 16, MOH has also activated the haze subsidy scheme, which subsidises treatment for haze-related conditions at participating general practitioners and polyclinics.
PA, other agencies step up efforts to help the vulnerable
Today Online 25 Sep 15;
SINGAPORE — Following an initial raft of measures last week to ensure that the vulnerable — such as the elderly living alone — are prepared to deal with the effects of the haze, the People’s Association is stepping up its efforts.
It is setting up distribution points at 108 community centres islandwide to give out N95 masks to the low-income and elderly. These places will be open from 10am to 10pm from today.
Each eligible recipient — including Pioneer Generation cardholders, ComCare clients aged over 62, and Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) Blue cardholders — will be given two masks.
Members of the PA grassroots organisations will also visit residents who are immobile, sick and living alone. Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin also shared on his Facebook page that residents who need respite can go to their local community clubs to use the air-conditioned rooms, and the same will be available at Residents’ Committee centres from today.
Last week, the PA kicked off the distribution of 30,000 WeCare packs to help the vulnerable prepare for the haze. The packs contain an N95 mask as well as items such as instant noodles, biscuits, instant beverages, canned food, Vitamin C tablets, and eye drops.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Trade and Industry yesterday assured the public that it has a plan in place to ensure there are enough N95 masks for companies here with staff engaged in prolonged or strenuous outdoor work to make bulk purchases, and each company has been allocated a quota.
The ministry has activated its stockpile and assured the public it is prepared to meet requests for replenishment of stocks from retailers Dairy Farm Singapore, NTUC FairPrice, and Unity Healthcare.
Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say said that there will be no national shutdown of businesses, as business activities should be kept going “as normal as possible”, but this should be done without compromising the health and safety of workers.
“Individual employers will have to continue to update their risk assessment and pay particular attention to work that is strenuous and involves prolonged outdoor work. At the same time, they should pay special attention to workers, especially the elderly, pregnant women, as well as workers with heart and lung conditions,” Mr Lim said at a media briefing yesterday.
The Ministry of Manpower advised companies to adopt risk-mitigating measures to make work less strenuous, for example, with the use of mechanical aids, and by scheduling more rest breaks for employees engaged in outdoor work.
It's the tiny things in the haze, not its look or smell, that matter
Linette Lai The Straits Times AsiaOne 24 Sep 15;
It is that time of year again - when N95 masks fly off the shelves, air purifiers get dusted off, and complaints about sore throats and dry eyes soar.
Some days, people in Singapore wake up to an acrid smell, while smog-like shrouds block out the horizon and private planes have to be diverted to Johor.
But as bad as the air might look or smell, the average Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) readings over a 24-hour period have not gone into the "very unhealthy" range (201-300), instead swinging between "moderate" (51-100) and "unhealthy" (101-200).
Experts say that people should not draw conclusions on air quality based on just visibility levels, or how bad the haze smells.
The haze could be more visible because there is more water vapour in the air, according to the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources. And the smell may be caused by other compounds generated when vegetation and peat are burned.
"The low visibility and acrid smell associated with the haze... are subjective and cannot be used to measure air quality," said air pollution researcher Erik Velasco of the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology's Centre for Environmental Sensing and Modelling.
To put things in perspective, on a day when PM2.5 levels hit 100 micrograms per cubic m, a person will take in around 1,100 mcg of these pollutants if he or she stays outdoors throughout the day. For comparison, a smoker will inhale between 10,000 mcg and 40,000 mcg of PM2.5 pollutants for every cigarette consumed.
Instead, one of the best ways to determine how unhealthy the air is in real time is to look at the one-hour PM2.5 levels published by the National Environment Agency (NEA), say experts.
Typically, two types of particles make up the haze.
There are the coarser ones, which the human body is mostly equipped to filter out. These particles are large enough to be trapped by the nasal passages or end up being passed directly through the body.
The bigger worry is the PM2.5 pollutants - so called because they are no larger than 2.5 microns, or a thirtieth the diameter of a human hair.
These can become trapped deep in the lungs and are tiny enough to pass through linings into the bloodstream.
Long-term exposure to these particles on a regular basis has been linked to increased risk of death from heart and lung complications such as lung cancer or heart disease.
On a regular, non-hazy day, the maximum concentration of PM2.5 is usually between 20 and 35 micrograms (mcg) per cubic m, said Dr Velasco. They start becoming a serious problem when the numbers hit 100, and dangerous when they exceed 200.
Yesterday, the one-hour PM2.5 levels started off in the 20s at 1 am, but topped 100 in many parts of the island by midday.
Starting in May last year, the Government incorporated PM2.5 levels in the calculation of the overall PSI for the first time to give a more accurate measurement of air quality.
The short-term effect of high PSI levels is apparent to anyone who stays outdoors for too long- headaches, irritation of the eyes and nose, and aggravation of conditions such as asthma or bronchitis.
But the long-term health impact of exposure to haze for a couple of months a year -as in Singapore's case-has rarely been studied or fully understood.
Most people would agree that it is bad for one's health, but just how bad is it?
Said atmospheric chemist Mikinori Kuwata,who is with the Nanyang Technological University: ''To understand the health impact, you have to first understand the haze itself.''
While major pollutants such as ozone are present, researchers are still trying to figure out all the other chemicals which make up the smoke- especially particulate matter- that has blown hundreds of kilometres from Sumatra, and how they interact with each other on the way here.
Dr Kuwata said that researchers also refer to air pollution studies elsewhere, for instance the US, which has its own problems with peat fires. These studies have linked the fires with more hospital visits for heart failure and asthma-related complications.
But the findings cannot be extrapolated to this region because of differences in the chemical composition of pollutants.
For example, temperature and humidity, which change the way chemicals in the air interact with one another, are very different in the tropics compared to the US.
The peat fires in Indonesia also occur in soil of a different composition.
In a study conducted in 2013- when the three-hour PSI level hit a record 401 during the haze- environmental engineer Rajasekhar Balasubramanian looked at the health risks for a person who has been exposed to haze for a prolonged period of time.
He found that if Singapore were to be exposed for 10 days every year for 70 years to air pollution levels similar to those recorded during that June 20 to June 28 haze period, an average of 18 people in a million could get cancer in their lifetimes.
He also collected air samples between Sept 12 to Oct 2 when there was no haze. The risk of developing cancer fell to 12 in a million people for the non-haze period.
The study was published last year in the journal Environmental Scienceand Technology.
To put things in perspective,on a day when PM2.5 levels hit 100mcg per cubic m, a person will take in around 1,100mcg of these pollutants if he or she stays outdoors throughout the day.
For comparison, a smoker will inhale between 10,000mcg and 40,000mcg of PM2.5 pollutants for every cigarette consumed.
The average healthy person should not be unduly worried about the levels of haze experienced this year, say experts.
''We should be objective,'' said respiratory specialist Yap Wee See of Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital.
''When the haze is at a lower level, slight modifications to your lifestyle to reduce exposure are probably enough,'' said Dr Yap.
If PM2.5 readings rise above 100, for example, it might be a good idea to move that evening run to an indoor gym.
Children, pregnant women,the elderly and those with chronic conditions should also take greater care to avoid the haze.
Symptoms like eye or throat irritation are caused by short-term exposure to the haze and are usually self-limiting, said Dr Liew Woei Kang of the SBCC Baby and Child Clinic.
His advice for coping with the haze? ''Drink lots of water to flush out the inhaled toxins, and take a healthy balanced diet rich in anti-oxidants.''
