KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 — The Air Pollutant Index (API) readings issued by the Department of Environment (DOE) remain the government’s official reference for determining air quality and managing haze.

Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup said the official API was calculated based on the concentrations of six major pollutants monitored around the clock through 68 automatic air quality monitoring stations nationwide.

He said the stations used measurement equipment and technical methods recognised by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, with procedures in place to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data.

“Station operations include equipment maintenance, calibration, instrument performance checks and quality assurance procedures to ensure that the data used to calculate the official API are accurate and reliable,” he said during the Minister’s Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today.