FRIDAY, JULY 25, 1986
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STUDY TO START ON BEACH WATER POLLUTION AND HEALTH
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THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT (EPD), IN COLLABORATION WITH THE COMMUNITY MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, IS UNDERTAKING A PILOT STUDY ON THE POSSIBILITY OF A LINK BETWEEN SWIMMING AT POPULAR BEACHES AND DISEASE OR SICKNESS THIS SUMMER.
IT WILL BE THE FIRST TIME THAT SUCH AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY
THE HAS BEEN CARRIED OUT IN HONG KONG, AS WELL AS IN ASIA. METHODOLOGY RECOMMENDED BY THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION WILL GENERALLY BE FOLLOWED IN CONDUCTING THE STUDY.
THE MAJOR PURPOSE OF THE WHOLE INVESTIGATION IS TO HELP IN SETTING HEALTH-RELATED WATER QUALITY OBJECTIVES FOR THE BEACHES OF HONG KONG IN THE LIGHT OF LOCAL CONDITIONS ASSESSING THE ACCEPTABILITY OF THE WATER QUALITY OF POPULAR BATHING BEACHES ; AND PROVIDING SOUNDER DESIGN CRITERIA AND JUSTIFICATION FOR IMPLEMENTING MAJOR POLLUTION CONTROL PROJECTS AT BATHING BEACHES.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT EMPHASISED THAT THIS IS A PREVENTIVE MEASURE AND THERE IS AT PRESENT NO HIGH RISK OF CONTRACTING AILMENTS.
THE FIRST THE PROJECT WILL BE CARRIED OUT IN THREE PHASES. PHASE WILL BEGIN THIS WEEKEND AT REPULSE BAY BEACH AND STANLEY MAIN BEACH.
DURING MID-AUGUST TO EARLY SEPTEMBER, THE SURVEY WILL BE
LIDO EXTENDED TO TWO OTHER BEACHES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES BEACH AND OLD CAFETERIA BEACH. ALL STUDIES WILL BE DONE AT WEEKENDS.
THE BEACHES HAVE BEEN CHOSEN BECAUSE OF THEIR POPULARITY AND NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE CONSIDERED TO BE OF ANY PROBLEM.
STUDENTS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG WILL BE RECRUITED
THEY WILL ALSO TO CONDUCT INTERVIEWS AT THESE BATHING BEACHES. CONTACT THE RESPONDENTS WITHIN 24 HOURS, AND ABOUT ONE WEEK AFTERWARDS.
THE BEACH-GOERS WILL BE ASKED WHETHER THEY HAVE DEVELOPED ANY SYMPTOMS OF ILLNESSES AFTER VISITING THE BEACHES.
IT IS EXPECTED THAT THOUSANDS OF SWIMMERS AND NON-SWIMMERS AT THE FOUR BEACHES WILL BE INTERVIEWED IN THE FIRST PHASE THIS SUMMER.
IN PARALLEL WITH BEACH INTERVIEWS, SCIENTISTS IN THE EPD WILL INTENSIVELY MONITOR THE WATER QUALITY AT THE FOUR BEACHES DURING THE WEEKENDS ON WHICH STUDIES ARE TO BE CARRIED OUT.
/WATER SAMPLING