XN000022-1987-06-19 — Page 11

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FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 1987

SECOND PHASE STUDY ON BEACH WATER POLLUTION BEGINS

THE SECOND PHASE OU AN INTENSIVE STUDA ON THE SWIMMING IN HONG KONG'S POPULAR BEACHES AND DISEASE OUR START THIS WEEKEND UNTIL OCTOBER.

LINK BETWEEN SICKNESS WILL

PROTECTION

DEPARTMENT OF

THE

THE STUDY 15 CONDUCTED BYTHE ENA URONMENTAL

(EPD) AND THE DEPARTMENT UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG.

COMMUNITY MEDICINE

THE FIRST PHASE OF THE TURFE-VIASE PROJECT WAS CONDUCTED IN SUMMER LAST YEWE, THE ULTIMATE AIN OF THE WHOLE PROJECT

PROVIDE IS TO SOUNDER DESIGN CRITERIA AND JUSTIFICATION FOR IMPLEMENTING MAJOR POLLUTION CONTROL PROJECTS FOR PROTECTING BATIHING BEACHES,

AN EPD SPOKESMAN SAID THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PRESENT PHASE ARE TO HELP SETHEALTH-RELATED WATER QUALITY OBJECTIVES FOR THE BATHING WHETHER BEACHES OF HONG KONG IN THE LIGHT OF LOCAL CONDITIONS; TO SEE SWINNING IN "BARELY ACCEPTABLE' BEACHES POSFS HIGHER HEALTH RISKS THAN UNPOLLUTED" BEACHES ; SWIMMING IN "WEL ATIVELY

AND TO

'THE ELUCIDATE

VARTOLS FACTORS ( (1.5.

1IDE AND BATHER NUMBERS) KILICH CAUSE THE DAILY AND HOURLY VARIATIONS IN THE LEVELS OF MICROBIAL INDICATORS AT BATHING BEACHES.

OLD

THE STUDIES WILL BE UNDERTAKEN AT NINE VERY POPULAR BEACHES,

DEEP NAMELY: REPULSE BAY,

WATER RAY STANLEY NAJN, SHEK 0,

AND CLEAR CAFETERIA, NEW CAFETERIA, BUTTERFLY, LIDO

WATER BAY 2ND BEACIL

ALL FIELD STUDIES WILL BE UNDERTAKEN AT WEEKENDS. THE STUDIES WILL COMMENCE AT SHEK O BEACH AND STANLEY MAIN BEACH THIS WEEKEND.

A TOTAL OF 25 STUDENTS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG HAVE BEEN RECRUITED TO CONDUCT INTERVIEWS AT THE BATHING BEACHES. THEY WILL ALSO CONTACT THE RESPONDENTS BY TELEPHONE WITHIN 2 1 HOURS, ABOUT ONE WEEK AFTERWARDS, THE BEACH GOERS WILL BE ASKED WHETHER HAVE DEVELOPED ANY SYMPTOMS OF ILLNESSES AFTER VISITING THE BEACHES.

AND THEY

AROUND 70.000 SKIMMERS AND NON-SWIMMERS AT THE NIND BEACHES WILL BE INTERVIEWED IN THE STUDY THIS SUMMER. THE BACKGROUND ILLNESS RATES OF THE LOCAL POPULATION WILL. ALSO BE MEASURED RY RANDOM TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS.

WILL

IN PARALLEL WITH BEACH INTERVIEWS, SCIENTISTS IN THE EPD INTENSIVELY MONITOR THE WATER QUALITY AT THOSE REACHES AT WHICH STUDIES ARE TO BE CARRIED OUT DURING THE WEEKENDS. KATER SAMPLING

NICROBIAL WILL BE TAKEN AT TWO-HOUR INTERVALS AND SEN BEACH WATER POLLUTION WILL BE TESTFÐ.

INDICATORS

OF

/AROUND 1,000