XN000022-1992-03-12 — Page 12

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THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 1992

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

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

TSP

THE DAILY HONG KONG AIR QUALITY OBJECTIVES OF SO2 AND NO2, AND RSP ARE 350, 150, 260 AND 180 MICROGRAMS PER CUBIC METRES

RESPECTIVELY.

RECOGNISED

THESE OBJECTIVES ARE COMPARABLE TO · INTERNATIONALLY 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.

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

SUSCEPTIBILITY то

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 BUILD-UP URBAN DISTRICT; COMBINED COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS; AND DISTRICT CLOSE TO INDUSTRIAL AREAS.

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

PO

THE OTHER EIGHT STATIONS ARE AT KWUN TONG, SHAM SHUI SHA TSUI, TSEUNG KWAN 0, TSUEN WAN, HONG KONG SOUTH, TAI TIN.

PO,

AND

AIR

TSIM AND SHA

NOTE TO EDITORS:

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

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