ENG-1997 — Page 474

THE ENVIRONMENT

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tonnes came from construction activities. The municipal waste production amounts to 1.3 kg for each person in Hong Kong every day a similar figure to that in neighbouring Asian countries.

Local waste recovery continued to play an important role in waste management, resulting in the export of substantial quantities of recovered waste materials for recycling overseas. In all, about 1.2 million tonnes of waste materials, including waste paper, metals and plastic were exported in 1997, and generated export earnings of over $2 billion. More than 400 000 tonnes of waste paper, metals, plastic and glass were reprocessed locally. The total recovery rate represents some about 34 per cent of the total municipal solid waste generated, probably the highest rate of recovery in any of the world's advanced economies.

The government is studying the feasibility of building two waste-to-energy incinerators with a combined daily burning capacity of 4 400 tonnes of municipal

waste.

Government Laboratory

The laboratory provides centralised analytical services to environmental protection activities. A total of 217 032 tests on air particulate, terrestrial waters, sediment, aquatic species, effluent and sewage were conducted in 1997 for pollution monitoring. The laboratory also advised on the analytical requirements of government projects in environmental assessment to safeguard the quality of data produced by contract laboratories. Monitoring work aside, the laboratory also attended incidents of gas emission or chemical leakage to give professional advice at the scene.

Independent from the enforcement authority, the laboratory served as the referee analyst under various ordinances and regulations in environmental protection. Some 587 samples were examined for litigation purposes in 1997, with occasional involvement in on-site measurements.

Underpinning the laboratory's service to clients is a strong commitment to research and development in analytical chemistry, with increasing collaboration from the academic institutions. Highlights of the applied research in 1997 included the analysis of volatile organics with canister sampling, carbon speciation of air particulates, semi-volatile organic pollutants in water, and ultra-trace heavy metals in sea water with on-line chelation. These studies should culminate in a broader range of scientific data to facilitate the development of sound environmental policies.

Climate

Hong Kong's climate is sub-tropical, tending towards the temperate for nearly half the year. During November and December, there are pleasant breezes, plenty of sunshine and comfortable temperatures. Many people regard these as the best months of the year.

January and February are cloudier, with occasional cold fronts followed by dry northerly winds. Temperatures can drop below 10 degrees Celsius in urban areas but sub-zero temperatures and frost usually occur on high ground and in the New Territories.