With funding from the Science and Technology Development Fund, the University of Macau, the Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau and the Environment Protection Bureau jointly carried out a research project namely the “Project Study of Air Quality in Macao with Mobile Laboratory for Monitoring the Situation of Air in Real-Time”. Air qualities were recorded in different areas of Macao during 18 to 24 February 2009. Upon completion of the research project, a ceremony for the research achievement will be held at the Science and Technology Development Fund at 3 pm on 4th November 2009, followed by a workshop which aims to provide trainings to the relative participants, and to demonstrate to the public the different strategies planned with respect to the Macao air quality in the near future, as well as the changes of air quality in different areas of Macao. In this project, extensive field measurements of air quality were carried out using a mobile platform fully equipped with modern instruments. The project has given local students experience in performing research with state-of-the-art facilities. The data generated is the first most comprehensive result to include the majority areas in Macao, which can also be offered to other entities for their future planning of environmental strategies and for studies in greater depth. Averaged 75 percentile concentrations of major species monitored within the project period for nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) were 110, 98, 2950, and 77ug/m3 respectively. The results measured from the present project are compatible to those recorded from the Macao air monitoring stations. In summary, the results indicated that during the monitoring period the air quality of Macao is within the necessary qualification of a national heritage city. During the project a frontal system arrived in Macao after midnight from 02 to 03 am on February 20th 2009. This provided an excellent opportunity to study the variation of aerosol characteristics from regional air transport. PM10 recorded at the SMG monitoring station gradually increased from a low level of 20 to a high level of 100 ug/m3 during the day; simultaneously the mobile laboratory also recorded the same increase of PM10 in Macao. Aerosol size distributions were also monitored for the first time in Macao. Aerosol mass density deduced from the size distributions and mass concentrations monitored by SMG are 1.1 and 1.8 g/cc for fine aerosols below 2.5 um diameter and coarse aerosols between 2.5 to 10 um respectively. In addition, the organizers would like to express their sincere thanks to the following organizations who had offered their support during the implementation of this project, including: The Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, the Transport Bureau, the Public Security Police Force, the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau, the Macao Sport Development Board, the Macao Electricity Company and the Escola Luso-Chinesa Técnico-Profissional.
