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FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 1992

THE AIR QUALITY RECORDED AT THE KWAI CHUNG STATION WAS BETTER THAN AT MONG KOK. THIS STATION GIVES AN INDICATION OF AIR QUALITY AT AREAS CLOSE TO INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENTS.

AT THE KWAI CHUNG STATION, THERE WAS A MARKED IMPROVEMENT IN ANNUAL SO2 LEVEL WHICH DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY FROM 67 MICROGRAMMES PER CUBIC METRE IN 1990 TO ONLY 23 LAST YEAR, A RESULT OF THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE FUEL RESTRICTION REGULATIONS WHICH LIMIT THE SULPHUR CONTENT IN FUEL.

HOWEVER, THE ANNUAL MEAN FOR TSP AT 83 MICROGRAMMES PER CUBIC METRE MARGINALLY EXCEEDED THE ANNUAL AIR QUALITY OBJECTIVE.

THE CENTRAL/WESTERN STATION MEASURES AIR QUALITY WHICH IS REPRESENTATIVE OF COMBINED COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS.

APART FROM RSP FOR WHICH THE ANNUAL MEAN JUST EXCEEDED THE QUALITY OBJECTIVE AT THE STATION, ALL OTHER MEASUREMENTS OF SO2, OR TSP WERE WITHIN THE RELEVANT AIR QUALITY OBJECTIVES LAST YEAR.

AIR QUALITY OBJECTIVES ADOPTED FOR HONG KONG ARE COMPARABLE INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED AIR QUALITY STANDARDS RECOMMENDED FOR PROTECTION OF THE GENERAL HEALTH OF THE PUBLIC.

AIR NO2

ΤΟ

THE

HIGH LEVELS OF 802 CAUSES RESPIRATORY ILLNESS, REDUCES LUNG FUNCTION AND INCREASE MORTALITY RATE.

NO2 CAUSES RESPIRATORY IRRITATION, INCREASES SUSCEPTIBILITY RESPIRATORY INFECTION AND IMPAIRS LUNG DEVELOPMENT.

TO

TSP ACTS SYNERGISTICALLY WITH OTHER GASEOUS POLLUTANTS AND RSP CAUSES RESPIRATORY ILLNESS, REDUCES LUNG FUNCTION AND SOME FORMS OF RSP MAY CAUSE CANCER.

CURRENTLY, THE EPD OPERATES A TOTAL OF 11 FIXED AIR QUALITY 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.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

FURTHER ENQUIRY CAN BE DIRECTED TO THE PRINCIPAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OFFICER MR RAYMOND LEUNG ON TEL. 810 3049.

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