KUCHING: The 52 Automatic Air Quality Monitoring Stations (AAQMS) located nationwide work around the clock to register the Air Pollutant Index (API), according to the Department of Environment (DOE).
DOE said it has 10 AAQMS in Sarawak, in Kuching, Samarahan, Sri Aman, Sarikei, Sibu, Kapit, Bintulu, Miri, ILP Miri and Limbang to record accurate air quality in these areas.
In addition to the 10 DOE stations, Sarawak has three more stations owned by the Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) located in Tebedu, Lubok Antu and Lawas.
Air monitoring officer Lawrence Undi of Alam Sekitar Malaysia Sdn Bhd (ASMA) said the API is based on the concentration of fine dust particles less than 10 micrometres (PM10) within 24 hours.
“Every hour, the effect of concentration of five major air pollutants; PM10, carbon monoxide (CO), sulphur dioxide (SO2), ozone on the earth’s surface (O3), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) to human health and the exposure time is done.
“The data collected will be processed before being sent to ASMA headquarters in Shah Alam, “he told Bernama when met at Kuching AAQMS here,yesterday. ASMA is the contractor and operator of AAQMS.
ASMA will then send the data to DOE headquarters in Putrajaya before it is posted on its official website for reference by the public.
This Bernama reporter and photographer had a close look at the workings of the station which has been operating since June 1995.
The station is one of 12 stations capable of measuring fine particles less than 2.5 micrometres (PM2.5).
Sarawak DOE senior environmental control officer Hazrel Izzat Mohd Nor said API reading based on PM2.5 is at coordination stage before implemented by 2017.
The PM2.5 data is downloaded daily, stored in CD format and sent each week to DOE headquarters in Putrajaya. — Bernama