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THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 1976
POLLUTION MUST BE CONTROLLED, SAYS VISITING PROFESSOR
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POLLUTION MUST BE CONTROLLED IF WE ARE TO LIVE AND WORK SAFELY, A VISITING BRITISH PROFESSOR OF CIVIL AND PUBLIC HEALTH ENGINEERING SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).
IN A LECTURE ON WATER POLLUTION AND ITS CONTROL WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO HONG KONG, PROFESSOR PETER C.G. ISAAC OF NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, SAID WATER POLLUTION WAS AN INEVITABLE CONSEQUENCE OF MAN'S VARIED USES OF WATER.
PROFESSOR ISAAC WHO IS PROFESSOR OF CIVIL AND PUBLIC HEALTH ENGINEERING AND HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING AT THE UNIVERSITY, WAS SPEAKING TO A GROUP OF SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WHOSE WORK INVOLVE POLLUTION CONTROL OR PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEMBERS OF EPCOM.
HE POINTED OUT THAT ESSENTIALLY THERE WERE FIVE KINDS OF WATER POLLUTION, NAMELY, DIRECT TOXICITY, OXYGEN DEMAND, INDIRECT DAMAGE, DISEASE ORGANISMS AND OIL AND GREASE.
HE TALKED ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF THESE TYPES OF POLLUTION IN RELATION TO CONDITIONS IN HONG KONG, HIGHLIGHTING PARTICULARLY THE POLLUTION OF HONG KONG'S FRESH WATER STREAMS BY AGRICULTURAL WASTE.
PROFESSOR ISAAC SAID THAT A NUMBER OF MEASURES WERE POSSIBLE TO MITIGATE THE EFFECTS OF WATER POLLUTION. THESE WERE HOUSEKEEPING', INCLUDING A CHANGE IN THE OPERATION GIVING RISE TO THE POLLUTION- RECOVERY OF WASTE TREATMENT PROVISION OF ADEQUATE DILUTION AND POLICING THE DISCHARGE.
HE DISCUSSED THESE MEASURES BRIEFLY AND ALSO TOUCHED ON EFFLUENT STANDARDS ENDING WITH AN ESTIMATE OF THE COST OF TREATING HONG KONG'S FRESH WATERS TO VARIOUS STANDARDS,
PROFESSOR ISAAC IS IN HONG KONG FOR A 12-DAY VISIT TO ADVISE THE GOVERNMENT ON AGRICULTURAL WASTE TREATMENT.
NEXT WEEK, HE WILL BE CONDUCTING A FIVE-DAY TRAINING COURSE ON AGRICULTURE WASTES FOR 43 OFFICERS OF THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT. THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND THE NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION.
THE COURSE WHICH WILL DISCUSS AND STUDY VARIOUS FORMS AND EFFECTS OF WATER POLLUTION, WILL ALSO INCLUDE FIELD VISITS.
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