XN000022-1994-10-12 — Page 17

16

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1994

THE

AIR POLLUTANTS INCLUDE REPORTED

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

OF

ALL THESE POLLUTANTS SUFFICIENT CONCENTRATION.

AFFECT CAN

RESPIRATORY

HEALTH

IN

THE

NO

RECORDED IN SEPTEMBER, THE STREET LEVEL SITE IN MONG KOK

HOWEVER, HIGHEST POLLUTANT LEVELS OF THE THREE SITES, AS USUAL. EXCEEDANCES OF THE 24-HOUR AIR QUALITY OBJECTIVES WERE RECORDED AT ANY OF THE STATIONS DURING THE MONTH.

HIGH

TENDED TO COINCIDE

WITH

LOW

CONCENTRATIONS POLLUTANT WINDSPEEDS. FOR EXAMPLE, ON SEPTEMBER 17, THE LOW WINDSPEEDS PREVENTED

EMITTED

FROM DISPERSING LOCALLY

POLLUTANTS HIGHER AIR POLLUTANT CONCENTRATIONS.

QUICKLY,

TROPICAL CYCLONE

RESULTING IN

ON

NEAR HONG KONG OF A OCCURRENCE THE

POLLUTANT CONCENTRATIONS SEPTEMBER 1 AND 2 ALSO RESULTED IN HIGHER BECAUSE DESCENDING AIR KEPT A 'LID' ON THE ATMOSPHERE OVER HONG KONG.

AT

AS IN MOST MONTHS, THERE WERE LOW LEVELS OF SULPHUR DIOXIDE

AIR QUALITY ALL SITES, USUALLY LESS THAN 20 PER CENT OF THE 24-HOUR

AIR POLLUTION CONTROL (FUEL THAT THE THIS INDICATES OBJECTIVE. RESTRICTION) REGULATIONS, WHICH LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF SULPHUR IN HAVE ACHIEVED THEIR OBJECTIVES.

FROM ORIGINATED

FUELS,

VARIOUS THE GASES AND PARTICLES DESCRIBED

ARE SOURCES. SO2 IS MOSTLY PRODUCED WHEN FUELS THAT CONTAIN SULPHUR

BY THE COMBINATION OF BURNED. NO2 IS FORMED DURING COMBUSTION

FORMED IN THE NITROGEN AND OXYGEN. HOWEVER THE MAJORITY OF IT IS

PRODUCT OF ATMOSPHERE BY THE OXIDATION OF NITRIC OXIDE (NO), ALSO A COMBUSTION.

TERMS VEHICLE EXHAUST IS AN IMPORTANT SOURCE OF NO AND NO2 IN

IT IS ALSO A MAJOR SOURCE OF AIRBORNE OF IMPACT ON LOCAL AIR QUALITY. PARTICULATE MATTER, ESPECIALLY THE SMALLER RESPIRABLE PARTICLES.

PUBLIC LIGHT BUSES,

SUCH AS TAXIS, VEHICLES DIESEL-ENGINED PASSENGER COACHES, FRANCHISED BUSES AND LIGHT AND HEAVY GOODS VEHICLES

OTHER SOURCES ARE THE GREATEST CONTRIBUTOR.

OF PARTICLES INCLUDE FURNACES AND BOILERS, CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES, THE SEA

AND

INDUSTRY,

THE SOIL.

CLIMATE ALWAYS IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT WHILE THE WEATHER AND

WAY AFFECT THE CONCENTRATIONS OF POLLUTANTS IN THE AIR, THE ONLY SURE

EMISSIONS FROM THE MAN-MADE OF REDUCING THE LEVELS IS TO REDUCE SOURCES.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS AIR QUALITY CONTACT MR RAYMOND LEUNG ON TEL 594 6401.

REPORT, PLEASE

—

/17