KUWAIT CITY, Oct 10: The Environment Public Authority (EPA) has issued a statement refuting claims circulating on social media regarding the air quality index in Kuwait, labeling the warnings as erroneous and exaggerated. According to the EPA, the air quality index for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) does not pose a significant risk to public health and cannot be classified as "carcinogenic," as suggested in the recent warnings.

In a statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on Thursday, the EPA responded to the misleading information, which originated from a post that misinterpreted data from the global website "Air Pollution in World: Real-time Air Quality Index Visual Map." This site includes air quality readings from the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait. The EPA clarified that the individual who shared the warning relied on this global website but misrepresented the data by translating it inaccurately into Arabic.

The EPA noted that the actual air quality index for Kuwait on the date in question was at the second level (Unhealthy for sensitive groups), with a reading of 147. This level does not warrant a health warning, yet the warning used the term “warning,” which is designated for the fifth level (Very unhealthy, health warning of emergency conditions) and the sixth level (Hazardous, health alert) in the classification scale set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The statement further explained that Kuwait experienced increased humidity levels of 80 to 90 percent during the days of October 7, 8, and 9, 2024. The Kuwait Meteorological Department had issued warnings regarding the rise in humidity. The EPA indicated that this high humidity likely affected monitoring devices, leading to inflated readings during that period. Consequently, the slight increase in the air quality index for PM2.5 to the third level (AQI=147) does not pose a danger to the general public.

The EPA urged the public to rely on official sources for information regarding air quality and to avoid disseminating incorrect warnings that could cause unnecessary panic. This call to action is in accordance with Article No. 126 of the Environmental Protection Law No. 42 of 2014 and its amendments.