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Starting 12 May 2011, the Observatory will revert by phases to normal air sampling and radiological analysis on a weekly basis.
The Observatory will continue to release radiation monitoring data on its website. These include hourly data from the Observatory's network of 10 radiation monitoring stations that measure environmental gamma radiation in real-time, as well as results of radiological analysis of other samples, including sea water, land soil and rain.
The Observatory will closely monitor the situation in Fukushima, as well as radiation levels in other places, to determine if intensive monitoring will need to be resumed.
Since the Fukushima incident in March this year, the Observatory has stepped up its radiation monitoring. Specifically, the frequency of collection and analysis of air samples at King's Park and Yuen Ng Fan was increased from once a week to once every day. Additional samples of sea water, land soil and rain were also collected for analysis.
From late March to mid April, the artificial radionuclides iodine-131 and caesium-137 were found in the air samples in very minute amounts that posed no health threat to the public. In the past four weeks since 14 April, no artificial radionuclides have been detected in the air samples at Yuen Ng Fan and King's Park.
In view of the situation, the Observatory will revert to normal air sampling and radiological analysis by phases starting from 12 May. Daily air sampling at Yuen Ng Fan will revert to weekly monitoring, while daily sampling at King's Park will continue. If no further artificial radionuclides are detected in two weeks' time, sampling at King's Park will also revert to the normal weekly sampling.
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