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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 1994
THE
AT
DEPARTMENT CURRENTLY MONITORS AIR QUALITY CONTINUOUSLY
SHORT-TERM MEASUREMENT EIGHT STATIONS, INCLUDING THE THREE MENTIONED. CAMPAIGNS ARE ALSO UNDERTAKEN AS AND WHERE THE NEED ARISES.
THE
REPORTED AIR POLLUTANTS INCLUDE
SULPHUR DIOXIDE (802),
NITROGEN
WHICH DIOXIDE (NO2), TOTAL SUSPENDED PARTICULATES (TSP) ALL SIZES COMPRISE
OF DUST
AND PARTICLES,
RESPIRABLE SUSPENDED PARTICULATES (RSP) WHICH ARE THE RESPIRABLE FRACTION OF THE DUST.
ALL THESE POLLUTANTS CAN AFFECT RESPIRATORY HEALTH IN SUFFICIENT CONCENTRATION.
THERE WERE TWO MAIN FEATURES OF NOTE IN THE
MEASUREMENTS FOR
MAY.
THE FIRST WAS THE HIGH NITROGEN DIOXIDE CONCENTRATIONS AT ALL STATIONS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MONTH AND THE SECOND WAS A LOCAL PEAK IN SULPHUR DIOXIDE CONCENTRATIONS AT MONG KOK.
THE
NITROGEN DIOXIDE CONCENTRATIONS EARLY IN THE
AIR AT MONG KOK FOR THE 24-HOUR NITROGEN DIOXIDE SUFFICIENT OBJECTIVE TO BE EXCEEDED ON MAY 8.
MONTH WERE QUALITY
IT IS THOUGHT THAT LOW WIND SPEEDS ALLOWED LOCAL EMISSIONS THE TERRITORY TO ACCUMULATE OVER THE PRECEDING DAYS.
IN
THE GASES AND PARTICLES DESCRIBED ORIGINATE
VARIOUS ARE SOURCES. SO2 IS MOSTLY PRODUCED WHEN FUELS THAT CONTAIN SULPHUR
BY NO2 IS FORMED DURING COMBUSTION
THE BURNED.
COMBINATION OF
NITROGEN AND OXYGEN.
FROM
HOWEVER THE MAJORITY OF IT IS FORMED IN THE ATMOSPHERE BY OXIDATION OF NITRIC OXIDE (NO), ALSO A PRODUCT OF COMBUSTION.
THE
VEHICLE EXHAUSTS ARE IMPORTANT SOURCES OF NITRIC OXIDE AND IN TERMS OF IMPACT ON LOCAL AIR QUALITY.
NO2
THESE EXHAUSTS ARE ALSO A MAJOR SOURCE OF AIRBORNE MATTER, ESPECIALLY THE SMALLER RESPIRABLE PARTICLES.
INDUSTRY,
OTHER SOURCES OF PARTICLES INCLUDE BOILERS, CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES, THE SEA AND THE SOIL.
PARTICULATE
FURNACES
AND
ALWAYS WAY
THE MAN-MADE
IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT WHILST THE WEATHER AND CLIMATE AFFECT THE CONCENTRATIONS OF POLLUTANTS IN THE AIR, THE ONLY SURE
LEVELS IS TO REDUCE EMISSIONS FROM OF REDUCING THE SOURCES.
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