Govt clears the air on haze rumours

SINGAPORE — It is not true that the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) readings on the National Environment Agency’s (NEA) website do not take PM2.5 readings into account, said a new webpage set up by the Government.

According to a section on the Government microsite for haze called “Cut thru the haze” — http://www.e101.gov.sg/haze/cutthruehaze.htm — which seeks to dispel rumours and errors about the haze, “PM10 would also capture what is captured in the PM2.5 readings”, since it includes all “particulate matter smaller than 10 microns”. The PM2.5 is a “concentration reading which is expressed in micrograms per m3 and not a composite reading like the PSI”.

This is “why though PSI levels on some days may be “Moderate”, the health advisories are more cautious as they expect 24-hour PM2.5 levels to be higher, posing some risk to the susceptible groups”, according to the clarification on the page, which was provided by the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.

Another rumour that the webpage attempted to address was the one that suggested that one of the PSI readings posted by the NEA on June 19 was altered from 393 to 321. The authorities confirmed that “there was no PSI value posted that was higher than the three-hour PSI reading of 321” and that “records also show that there had been no editing or deletion of that PSI reading on the website”.

As for Singaporeans who have been wondering whether Tan Tock Seng Hospital was overcharging for their N95 masks, the webpage featured a Facebook post by the hospital stating that it has not raised prices.

“It has always been at S$60 for a box of 20 pieces even before the onset of haze,” the hospital said.

It also assured that it will “bring the price down to S$50 for a box of 20 pieces of N95 … to make it more affordable for the public”.

Those who need more information about the haze can also refer to a new website by the NEA — http://www.haze.gov.sg/Home.aspx