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FRIDAY, MAY 10, 1991

STUDY ON EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION ON RESPIRATORY HEALTH COMMISSIONED

*

ΤΟ

THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT (EPD) TODAY (FRIDAY)

KONG SIGNED A $1.4 MILLION AGREEMENT WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG COMMENCE A STUDY ON

EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION

RESPIRATORY

HEALTH.

THE

ON

THE STUDY WILL BE CONDUCTED BY THE HKU DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY MEDICINE OVER A PERIOD OF TWO YEARS.

TROMP, SAID EFFECTS OF AIR

EPD'S ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (AIR AND NOISE), MR FRED

THE LOCAL THE STUDY WOULD GIVE MORE INFORMATION ON POLLUTION ON HUMAN HEALTH.

HE HOPED THE STUDY COULD ALSO SHOW THE HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS

LAST YEAR OF RESULTING FROM THE IMPLEMENTATION IN JULY

REGULATIONS WHICH CONTROL THE SULPHUR CONTENT OF INDUSTRIAL FUELS.

"SINCE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FUEL RESTRICTION REGULATIONS, WE HAVE RECORDED DRASTIC REDUCTIONS IN THE LEVELS OF SULPHUR

SULPHUR DIOXIDE OTHER AIR AND SOME IMPROVEMENTS AS WELL FOR

AROUND POLLUTANTS MAJOR INDUSTRIAL AREAS.

"WE EXPECT THAT FOR THE PEOPLE LIVING IN THESE SHOULD BE IMPROVEMENTS IN RESPIRATORY HEALTH. I HOPE WE CAN THE EXTENT OF IMPROVEMENTS IN THIS STUDY," MR TROMP SAID.

DURING THE STUDY PERIOD,

THE.

AREAS,

THERE FIND OUT

WILL QUESTIONNAIRES

BE ISSUED PARENTS IN THE KWAI 9,000 PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN AS WELL AS THEIR TSING AND SOUTHERN DISTRICTS.

то

MEDICAL

EXAMINATIONS

WILL ALSO BE CARRIED OUT ON THESE

CHILDREN.

PROFESSOR HEDLEY OF

HKU'S DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY MEDICINE SAID THE KWAI TSING AND SOUTHERN DISTRICTS WERE CHOSEN FOR BECAUSE THEY SHOULD REPRESENT THE GREATEST CONTRAST IN IN HONG KONG.

THE STUDY

AIR POLLUTION

HE SAID HE HOPED TO FIND OUT HOW THIS CONTRAST WAS REFLECTED IN THE RESPIRATORY HEALTH OF THE SCHOOL CHILDREN.

SMALLER

A CONDUCTED BEFORE THE FUEL RESTRICTION

THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY MEDICINE HAS SCALE STUDY OF SIMILAR NATURE IN 1989, REGULATIONS CAME INTO FORCE.

OF THE TSING MIGHT

THE RESULTS OF THAT STUDY SHOWED THAT OVER 35 PER CENT RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS SUFFERED BY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN KWAI HAVE BEEN PREVENTED HAD THE AIR BEEN CLEANER.