Letters to the Editors
Letters to the editor of South China Morning Post - Response to reader's letter relating to Air Quality Health Index
We refer to Fabian Pedrazzini’s letter of 15 March 2014 entitled “Air quality index should provide more accurate information”.
We launched the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) to replace the Air Pollution Index on 30 December 2013, was to provide the public with simple and easy-to-understand health risk information arising from air pollution and the advice on precautionary measures. The AQHI is reported on a simple figure with a scale of 1 to 10 and 10+, and is grouped into five health risk categories, i.e. low, moderate, high, very high and serious, together with specific health advice for people with different degrees of susceptibility to air pollution.
Reporting the maximum air pollution health alert by an AQHI of “10+” best serves the purpose of health risk communication to the general public. Reference has also been made with other health related air quality index systems overseas, e.g., the UK and France. Further breaking down this index with additional AQHI categories will not only cause confusion to the public as the health advice remains the same, but also undermine the significance of this health risk category by creating a false security to the public.
We fully recognize the demands of some members of the public for more detailed information on air pollution. We are providing and will continue to provide the measured concentration levels and trends of the air pollutants alongside the AQHI at our AQHI website so that the public will be fully informed at all times of the quality of the air.
Pang Sik Wing
Principal Environmental Protection Officer (Air Science)
Environmental Protection Department