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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1992
IN AUGUST, POLLUTANT LEVELS WERE GENERALLY LOW EXCEPT ON LAST FEW DAYS OF THE MONTH. SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER SULPHUR DIOXIDE NITROGEN DIOXIDE LEVELS WERE HOWEVER RECORDED AT ALL STATIONS ON 27TH AND 28TH WHEN VERY CALM WIND CONDITION THAT PRECEDED TROPICAL CYCLONE 'MARK' HAD IMPEDED THE CAPACITY OF THE ATMOSPHERE DISPERSE POLLUTANTS AND CAUSED ELEVATION OF POLLUTION LEVELS.
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TSP
THE DAILY HONG KONG AIR QUALITY OBJECTIVES OF SO2 AND NO2, AND RSP ARE 350, 150, 260 AND 180 MICROGRAMS PER CUBIC METER RESPECTIVELY.
THESE OBJECTIVES ARE COMPARABLE ΤΟ INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED AIR QUALITY STANDARDS RECOMMENDED FOR PROTECTING THE HEALTH OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
HIGH LEVELS OF SO2 CAUSE RESPIRATORY ILLNESS, REDUCE LUNG .FUNCTION AND INCREASE MORTALITY RATE.
NO2 CAUSES RESPIRATORY IRRITATION, INCREASES SUSCEPTIBILITY TO RESPIRATORY INFECTION AND IMPAIRS LUNG DEVELOPMENT.
TSP ACTS SYNERGISTICALLY WITH OTHER GASEOUS POLLUTANTS AND RSP CAUSES RESPIRATORY ILLNESS AND REDUCES LUNG FUNCTION, SOME FORMS OF RSP MAY CAUSE CANCER.
THE MONG KOK, CENTRAL/WESTERN AND KWAI CHUNG STATIONS BROADLY REPRESENT AIR QUALITY RESPECTIVELY AT LOCATIONS CLOSE TO ROAD TRAFFIC IN BUILD-UP URBAN DISTRICT; COMBINED COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS; AND DISTRICTS CLOSE TO INDUSTRIAL AREAS.
CURRENTLY THE EPD OPERATES A TOTAL OF 11 FIXED AIR QUALITY MONITORING STATIONS, INCLUDING THE THREE MENTIONED ABOVE.
THE OTHER EIGHT STATIONS ARE IN KWUN TONG, SHAM SHUI
PO, TSIM SHA TSUI, TSEUNG KWAN O, TSUEN WAN, HONG KONG SOUTH, TAI PO AND SHA TIN.
NOTE TO EDITORS:
FURTHER ENQUIRIES CAN BE DIRECTED TO THE ACTING PRINCIPAL ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER MR WS TSUI ON 594 6401.
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