HK begins hourly reporting of real time PM2.5 index
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E-mail Xinhua, March 8, 2012
Hong Kong's Environmental Protection Department (EPD) said on Thursday it will commence the regular reporting in real time of fine suspended particulates ( also known as PM2.5) from March 8, and the data can be accessed on the EPD website.
The data will reveal the hourly concentrations of PM2.5 as measured by the EPD's air quality monitoring network, which comprises 11 general stations and three roadside stations.
A spokesman for the EPD said, "In anticipation of the inclusion of PM2.5 as a new criteria pollutant in the proposed new Air Quality Objectives (AQOs), we have progressively acquired new PM2. 5 monitors to extend continuous PM2.5 measurements to all air quality monitoring stations. The installation and testing of the new PM2.5 monitors has now been completed."
According to the spokesman, to better understand the situation with regard to PM2.5 in Hong Kong, the EPD has been monitoring the pollutant since 1999 at three of its general air monitoring stations. And another general station was later added in 2005.
The monitoring results show that the level of PM2.5 in Hong Kong has reduced by 17 percent from 2005 to 2011. The spokesman said, this progress was owed to the control measures jointly implemented by the governments of Hong Kong and Guangdong Province in recent years.
The spokesman added that they will continue to collaborate with the Guangdong Provincial Government on emission reduction measures to further reduce the levels of particulates and other pollutants in Hong Kong.
