Singapore announces higher air quality targets

SINGAPORE, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA), together with Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) announced Thursday that they will adopt a series of measures to achieve higher national air quality standards by 2020.

The MEWR said in the statement that by 2020 they aim to achieve the targets of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Air Quality Guidelines (AQG) for particulate matter 10 (PM10), Nitrogen Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide and Ozone, and the WHO AQG's Interim Targets for PM2.5 and Sulphur Dioxide. And for the long term, they want the PM2.5 and Sulphur Dioxide emission reach the WHO AQG's final Targets.

In addition, the NEA is also scheduled to update air quality information three times a day instead of once from this Friday. The daily reported Pollutant Standards Index measures five key pollutants namely PM10, Ozone, Nitrogen Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide and Sulphur Dioxide.

They will also report the condition of PM2.5 in the ambient air, which is less than 2.5 microns and may penetrate the lungs into bloodstream, leading respiratory and heart problems.

According the roadmap, from January 2014, new diesel vehicles will have to meet Euro V emission standards, while new petrol vehicles will have to meet the Euro IV emission standards from April 2014.

Oil refineries and power stations are also required to use natural gas and lower sulphur fuels as well as improve their processes to reduce Sulphur Dioxide emissions.

"Integrated urban and industrial planning, as well as development control have enabled the government to put in place preventive air pollution control measures during the planning stage. In addition, legislation, strict enforcement program and air quality monitoring have helped to ensure that air quality remains good despite our dense urban development and large industrial base," the NEA added. Enditem

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