Haze problems in Singapore worsen<\/p>\n
SINGAPORE (AFP): A haze enveloping Singapore worsened
\nyesterday with the Singapore Environment Ministry issuing its
\nsecond consecutive health warning in 48 hours.<\/p>\n
The ministry said in a statement that the Pollution Standards
\nIndex (PSI) reached 122, the highest reading to date. The reading
\non Saturday was 112.<\/p>\n
Any PSI reading above 100 was considered unhealthy, the
\nministry said, adding that those with chronic heart and lung
\nailments were to monitor their symptoms or consult a doctor if
\nnecessary.<\/p>\n
Members of the public who are affected by the haze have been
\nwarned to stay indoors and reduce physical exertion.<\/p>\n
The ministry said that while a small number of healthy people
\nmay experience temporary skin and eye irritation, sneezing and
\ncoughing, they could continue with normal activities.<\/p>\n
The PSI, developed by the U.S. Environment Protection Agency
\nStandard (EPAS) index which is based on a scale of 0 to 500,
\nmeasures five pollutants. The pollutant with the highest reading
\nis take as the PSI reading of the day.<\/p>\n
Visibility throughout the tiny island dropped yesterday to the
\nrange of one to two kilometers, officials from the Meteorological
\nService Department said.<\/p>\n
\"Although the haze seems to be spread proportionately across
\nSingapore, the visibility is still quite bad,\" a department
\nofficial said.<\/p>\n
The airport and sea port authorities said however that
\nvisibility was not at a danger level yet and that normal
\noperations would continue.<\/p>\n
Despite the hazy conditions which have persisted for more than
\nthree weeks, international flight schedules have not been
\ncancelled and would carry on as normal, said the Civil Aviation
\nAuthority of Singapore.<\/p>\n
\"We are still conducting general broadcasts to ships in the
\narea that visibility is below two kilometers and that they must
\ntake necessary precautions,\" a Port of Singapore Authority
\nofficial said.<\/p>\n
Although the cause of the haze is still unknown, the ministry
\nsaid that it is believed to be caused by forest fires in
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
The spokesman said that the exact location was still unknown
\nbut satellite pictures showed the smoke to be coming from Sumatra
\nand Kalimantan.<\/p>",
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