XN000022-1991-09-12 — Page 19

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1991

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AN EPD SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT THE STILL CONDITIONS ENABLED MORE S02 AND NO2 THAN USUAL TO BE TRANSFORMED INTO PARTICLES OF SULPHATES AND NITRATES AND THESE REMAINED SUSPENDED IN THE AIR AS TSP OR RSP AND CONTRIBUTED TO THE VERY HAZY ATMOSPHERE.

TO MAKE

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE PURPOSE OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT IS THE PUBLIC MORE AWARE OF THE GENERAL AIR QUALITY LEVELS TO WHICH THEY FACTORS THAT AFFECT MIGHT BE EXPOSED, AND THE ATMOSPHERIC AND OTHER AIR QUALITY.

CLOCK, WHILE

SO2 AND NO2 ARE MONITORED CONTINUOUSLY ROUND THE TSP AND RSP ARE SAMPLED FOR 24 HOURS EVERY THREE TO SIX DAYS.

THESE AIR POLLUTANTS MAINLY COME FROM COMBUSTION OF FUEL IN INDUSTRIAL PLANTS AND MOTOR VEHICLE ENGINES. TSP AND RSP ÅRE ÅLSO GENERATED BY CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES AND SOME MANUFACTURING PROCESSES.

HONG KONG'S DAILY AIR QUALITY OBJECTIVES OF SO2 AND NO2, TSP 350, 150, 260 AND 180 MICROGRAMS PER CUBIC METER

ARE

AND RSP RESPECTIVELY.

THESE OBJECTIVES ARE COMPARABLE TO INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED AIR QUALITY STANDARDS RECOMMENDED FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE GENERAL HEALTH OF THE PUBLIC.

HIGH LEVELS OF SO2 CAUSE RESPIRATORY ILLNESS, REDUCES LUNG FUNCTION AND INCREASE MORTALITY RATE.

NOZ CAUSES RESPIRATORY IRRITATION, INCREASES SUSCEPTIBILITY TO RESPIRATORY INFECTION AND IMPAIRS LUNG DEVELOPMENT.

TSP ACTS SYNERGISTICALLY WITH OTHER GASEOUS POLLUTANTS AND RSP CAUSES RESPIRATORY ILLNESS, REDUCES LUNG FUNCTION AND 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 BUILT-UP URBAN DISTRICTS; COMBINED RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS; AND DISTRICTS CLOSE TO INDUSTRIAL AREAS.

THE MEASURED CONCENTRATIONS AT THE MONG KOK STATION ARE RELATIVELY HIGHER THAN THOSE RECORDED AT OTHER STATIONS, REFLECTING THE FACT THAT AIR QUALITY AT LOCATIONS CLOSE TO THE TRAFFIC 19 GENERALLY POORER.

CURRENTLY THE EPD OPERATES A TOTAL OF 11 FIXED AIR MONITORING STATIONS, INCLUDING THE THREE MENTIONED ABOVE.

THE OTHER EIGHT STATIONS ARE AT 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

ΤΟ

THE

PRINCIPAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OFFICER, MR RAYMOND LEUNG, ON TEL. 835 1048.

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