ENG-1994 — Page 489

THE ENVIRONMENT

were used. The results confirmed the previous findings that nitrogen dioxide levels are generally high throughout Hong Kong's busy road network.

The department conducts surveys on municipal solid waste twice a year to collect up-to- date information for planning future waste disposal facilities. Compared to 1993 findings, total municipal solid waste quantities disposed of at the landfills and incinerators increased by 0.2 per cent to 8 500 tonnes per day. The increase was due to a 0.2 per cent increase in the amount of domestic waste, and a less than one per cent and three per cent increase in the amount of industrial waste and commercial waste, respectively, delivered to the landfills and incinerators.

Local waste recovery activities continued to play an important role in waste management, resulting in the export of substantial quantities of recovered waste materials for recycling overseas. A total of 1.4 million tonnes of waste materials including waste paper, metals and plastic were exported in 1994, generating export earnings of $2.3 billion. About 544 000 tonnes of waste paper, metals, plastic scrap and glass were reprocessed locally.

The government encourages waste avoidance, which embraces waste minimisation. Recovery and recycling are useful means of bringing about a reduction in the quantities of waste requiring disposal. A Waste Reduction Study is being carried out to develop a strategic plan for waste avoidance in the territory. The plan would include various practical measures to facilitate waste prevention, minimisation, re-use and recovery through sorting, separation and recycling.

The appropriation of advanced technologies to reduce the bulk of municipal waste requiring disposal will also be examined.

The department also carries out noise monitoring and surveys. It is concerned about traffic in densely-populated and congested metropolitan areas. Resurfacing noisy roads with quiet surfacing material will continue to provide relief for adversely affected people.

Government Laboratory

The Government Laboratory provides an analytical service to the Environmental Protection Department for the quantitative study of the level of undesirable trace contaminants in the environment.

This includes examination of air particulates, deposition samples, river and marine water samples, sediment samples and waste water samples for a variety of pollution level indicators. In addition to a heavy programme of routine analysis, a number of method development projects are undertaken. Specific incidents of emission or leakage of various gaseous substances into the atmosphere also involve the laboratory in many on-site investigations.

Overall sample numbers have remained similar to those of previous years but there has been a change in emphasis in the type of analysis required. Interest in the knowledge of inorganic pollutant concentrations has declined to some extent and more information is now being sought on the levels of organic pollutants, particularly those relating to investigations of toxicological effects on ecosystems. New equipment acquired during the year will enable the laboratory to meet the changing demands.

The laboratory continued to receive oil pollution samples from the Marine Department for identification of the source of spillage. A number of successful prosecutions were made under the Shipping and Port Control Ordinance.

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