XN000022-1992-04-13 — Page 10

MONDAY, APRIL 13, 1992

THE GENERAL SULPHUR DIOXIDE LEVEL WAS SATISFACTORY, WHILE THE NITROGEN DIOXIDE LEVEL CONSIDERABLE HIGH, ALTHOUGH NOT EXCEEDING THE HONG KONG AIR QUALITY OBJECTIVES.

DUST LEVELS AT BOTH STATIONS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGH, PARTICULARLY AT THE MONG KOK STATION WHERE THE PERSISTENTLY ELEVATED RESULTS OVER THE PAST YEAR HAVE EXCEEDED THE RELEVANT ANNUAL AIR QUALITY OBJECTIVES FOR TSP AND RSP.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE

PURPOSE OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT IS то MAKE THE PUBLIC MORE AWARE OF THE GENERAL AIR QUALITY LEVELS TO WHICH THEY MIGHT BE EXPOSED.

THESE AIR POLLUTANTS MAINLY COME FROM COMBUSTION OF FUEL INDUSTRIAL PLANTS AND MOTOR VEHICLES ENGINES.

IN

TSP AND RSP ARE ALSO GENERATED BY CONSTRUCTION

ACTIVITIES AND

SOME MANUFACTURING PROCESSES.

THE DAILY HONG KONG AIR QUALITY OBJECTIVES OF S02 AND NO2, TSP ARE 350, 150, 260 AND 180 MICROGRAMS PER CUBIC METER

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 S02 CAUSE RESPIRATORY ILLNESS, REDUCE FUNCTION AND INCREASE MORTALITY RATE.

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

LUNG

TO

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

BROADLY

THE MONG KOK, CENTRAL/WESTERN AND KWAI CHUNG STATIONS REPRESENT AIR QUALITY RESPECTIVELY AT LOCATIONS CLOSE TO ROAD TRAFFIC IN BUILT-UP URBAN DISTRICT ; COMBINED COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS; AND DISTRICT CLOSE TO INDUSTRIAL AREAS.

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

PO, TSIM

PO AND SHA

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

NOTE TO EDITORS:

FURTHER ENQUIRY CAN BE DIRECTED TO PRINCIPAL PROTECTION OFFICER MR RAYMOND LEUNG ON TEL. 810 3019.

ENVIRONMENTAL

/HONG KONG

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