THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1984
5 -
HK TO HAVE INSTRUMENTS FOR MEASURING FINE DUST
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SOPHISTICATED EQUIPMENT WILL SOON BE INSTALLED BY THE
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY TO MEASURE THE AMOUNT OF FINE DUST PARTICLES IN THE ATMOSPHERE, ACCORDING TO THE PRINCIPAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OFFICER, MR MICHAEL CHAN.
THE EXISTING DUST MONITORING EQUIPMENT MEASURES DUST PARTICLES BELOW 100 MICRONS IN DIAMETER - 1 MICRON BEING 1 MILLIONTH OF A METRE -- WHILE THE NEW EQUIPMENT, KNOWN AS INHALABLE PARTICULATE SAMPLER, MEASURES FINE PARTICLES LESS THAN 10 MICRONS IN DIAMETER.
+FINE PARTICLES ARE OF PARTICULAR CONCERN TO US BECAUSE THEY CAN CAUSE DAMAGE TO OUR RESPIRATORY SYSTEM. PARTICLES LESS THAN 10 MICRONS IN DIAMETER CAN PENETRATE TO THE LOWER RESPIRATORY TRACT. STILL FINER PARTICLES, BELOW 2 MICRONS, CAN DESCEND FURTHER TO THE DEEPEST PART OF THE LUNGS, THE ALVEOLI,+ MR CHAN SAID.
TOTAL SUSPENDED PARTICULATES COME FROM BOTH NATURAL AND ANTHROPOGENIC SOURCES.
VOLCANIC ACTIVITY, SALT NATURAL SOURCES INCLUDE SOIL BLOW-OFF AEROSOL FROM SEA SPRAY AS WELL AS SPORES, POLLEN AND ORGANIC MATERIAL.
ANTHROPHOGENIC SOURCES INCLUDE FUEL BURNING IN CERTAIN INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITIES, DIESEL EXHAUST, EARTH MOVING, LAND RECLAMATION AND CONSTRUCTION.
+F INDINGS TO DATE INDICATE THAT TOTAL SUSPENDED PARTICULATE LEVELS IN HONG KONG ARE HIGH BY INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS AND THAT SOURCES OF PARTICULATE MATTER ARE NUMEROUS AND WIDESPREAD. HOWEVER, IT HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED HOW MUCH OF THE TOTAL SUSPENDED PARTICULATES ARE LESS THAN 10 MICRONS, MR CHAN SAID.
THE NEW EQUIPMENT WILL BE INSTALLED IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS AT THE EPA'S SIX MONITORING STATIONS IN KWUN TONG, TSIM SHA TSUI, SHAM SHUI PO, CAUSEWAY BAY, CENTRAL-WESTERN AND JUNK BAY.
+SAMPLES WILL BE COLLECTED ONCE EVERY THREE DAYS, PARTICULATES WILL BE COLLECTED OVER A 24-HOUR PERIOD ON A FILTER PAPER.
+THE FILTER PAPER WILL BE WEIGHED BEFORE AND AFTER SAMPLING TO DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF DUST SUSPENDED IN THE ATMOSPHERE.
+THESE SAMPLES WILL THEN BE ANALYSED FOR CHEMICAL AND ELEMENTAL CONTENTS BY THE GOVERNMENT CHEMIST. RESULTS WILL BE USED TO ASSESS THE SERIOUSNESS OF DUST POLLUTION, IDENTIFY POSSIBLE SOURCES OF PARTICULATES AND DEVELOP CONTROL MEASURES,
HE EXPLAINED.
MR CHAN POINTED OUT THAT SOME MITIGATING MEASURES WERE ALREADY BEING TAKEN TO TACKLE THE DUST PROBLEM.
/+SINCE CONSTRUCTION