Observatory
The Hong Kong Observatory's mission is to deliver useful and effective meteorological services; to provide quality services in climate, radiation, time standard, seismology, oceanography and astronomy; and to strengthen public preparedness for natural disasters.
Hong Kong's radiation level remains normal and the public need not worry, as the amount of artificial radionuclide Iodine-131 in air samples collected at King's Park on March 26 and 27 was minute.
Acting Assistant Director of the Hong Kong Observatory Ma Wai-man emphasised the amount detected will not affect public health and no precautionary measures are required.
Since the earthquake and tsunami in Japan on March 11, the observatory has increased the sampling frequency of air particulates at King's Park to once a day, from weekly sampling in the past.
Due to the very low radiation level, the observatory needs to extend the measurement time from normally a few hours to 22 hours. Even with this measuring method, the amount of radioactive iodine detected is still minute, he said.
