XN000022-1994-03-14 — Page 12

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MONDAY, MARCH 14, 1994

AIR QUALITY REPORT FOR FEBRUARY

* * *

THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT TODAY (MONDAY) RELEASED AIR QUALITY INFORMATION FOR FEBRUARY.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID THE PURPOSE OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT WAS TO KEEP THE PUBLIC INFORMED OF THE AIR QUALITY LEVELS IN THE TERRITORY AND TO EXPLAIN THE MEASUREMENTS.

THE ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS MONITORING RESULTS FROM MONG кок, CENTRAL/WESTERN AND KWAI CHUNG. THESE LOCATIONS ARE TYPICAL OF THREE

OF THE IMPORTANT LAND USE TYPES FOUND IN THE TERRITORY:

LOCATIONS CLOSE TO ROAD TRAFFIC IN BUILT-UP URBAN AREAS,

COMBINED COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS, AND

* DISTRICTS CLOSE TO INDUSTRIAL AREAS.

THE DEPARTMENT CURRENTLY MONITORS AIR QUALITY CONTINUOUSLY AT RIGHT STATIONS, INCLUDING THE THREE MENTIONED. MEASUREMENT CAMPAIGNS ARE ARISES.

THE REPORTED AIR

SHORT-TERM ALSO UNDERTAKEN AS AND WHERE THE NEED

POLLUTANTS INCLUDE SULPHUR DIOXIDE (SO2), NITROGEN DIOXIDE (NO2), TOTAL SUSPENDED PARTICULATES (TSP) WHICH COMPRISE ALL SIZES OF DUST PARTICLES, AND RESPIRABLE SUSPENDED PARTICULATES (RSP) WHICH ARE THE RESPIRABLE FRACTION OF THE DUST.

ALL THESE POLLUTANTS CAN AFFECT

SUFFICIENT CONCENTRATION.

RESPIRATORY HEALTH IN

THERE WERE NO EXCEEDANCES OF ANY AIR QUALITY OBJECTIVES AT ANY OF THE THREE SITES IN FEBRUARY.

OVER CHINESE NEW YEAR. SULPHUR DIOXIDE LEVELS WERE PARTICULARLY LOW AT ALL SITES AS EMISSIONS WERE REDUCED BECAUSE INDUSTRIES CLOSED DOWN OVER THE HOLIDAY PERIOD.

THE RATHER LOW DUST LEVELS ON FEBRUARY 16 WAS ALSO THE RESULT LOWER INDUSTRIAL AND OTHER ACTIVITIES AND THE RAIN WASHING PARTICLES OUT FROM THE AIR.

OF

THE GASES AND PARTICLES DESCRIBED ORIGINATE FROM VARIOUS SOURCES. S02 IS MOSTLY PRODUCED WHEN FUELS THAT CONTAIN SULPHUR ARE BURNED. NO2 IS FORMED DURING COMBUSTION BY THE COMBINATION OF NITROGEN AND OXYGEN.

HOWEVER THE MAJORITY OF IT IS FORMED IN THE ATMOSPHERE OXIDATION OF NITRIC OXIDE (NO), ALSO A PRODUCT OF COMBUSTION,

VEHICLE EXHAUSTS ARE IMPORTANT SOURCES OF NO AND NO2 OF IMPACT ON LOCAL AIR QUALITY.

THESE EXHAUSTS ARE ALSO A MAJOR SOURCE OF AIRBORNE MATTER, ESPECIALLY THE SMALLER RESPIRABLE PARTICLES.

BY THE

IN

TERMS

PARTICULATE

/OTHER SOURCES