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Press
Releases - 2000
Experts
visit Hong Kong to explain dioxin issue
Two experts
on dioxin are now in Hong Kong to explain respectively their
study and review of dioxin emissions here.
A spokesman
for the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) said the
two experts, Dr Gev Eduljee of a consultancy firm and Professor
Christoffer Rappe of the Umea University in Sweden, attended
a meeting today (May 2) to brief District Council members
of Kwai Tsing and other districts on their findings of dioxin
emissions in Hong Kong.
The spokesman
said: "In response to the public's concern on dioxin, the
EPD has appointed the consultancy firm to assess dioxin emissions
in Hong Kong.
"The
EPD has further engaged Professor Rappe to review the consultant's
findings independently."
"Both
the consultant and Professor Rappe concluded that the ambient
levels of dioxin in Hong Kong were similar to those in other
urbanised areas in the world and posed no health risk.
"They
also concluded that the Chemical Waste Treatment Centre (CWTC)
in Tsing Yi had already adopted the world's most stringent
dioxin emission standard and it had not caused any noticeable
increase in the ambient dioxin levels," the spokesman said.
The experts
said dioxin emission from the CWTC would still be within the
stringent safety limit even if it was used to co-incinerate
clinical waste.
Less
than two per cent of human dioxin intake is from direct inhalation.
A very
conservative estimate by the experts indicates that the daily
dietary dioxin intake by Hong Kong people is within the World
Health Organisation's standard.
Food
items are mainly imported into Hong Kong and the contribution
of dioxin to food from local emissions is insignificant.
Also
present at the District Council meeting was a toxicologist
from the Surrey University in the United Kingdom, Professor
Jim Bridges.
Professor
Bridges reviewed at the meeting the health issue associated
with dioxin emissions.
The three
experts will attend a seminar held by the EPD on May 3 on
dioxin at 9 am in the Centre of Environmental Technology on
77 Tat Chee Avenue in Kowloon Tong.
"Green
groups and academics have been invited to attend the seminar,"
the spokesman said.
The experts
will also brief members of the Advisory Council on the Environment
at 3 pm on May 4 and attend a joint meeting of the Legislative
Council Panels on Environmental Affairs and Health Services
at 9 am on May 5.
"The
dioxin assessment report and Professor Rappe's dioxin review
report are available for collection at the EPD, 28th floor,
Southorn Centre, 130 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong.
"The
electronic version of the two reports can be downloaded from
the EPD website at http://www.info.gov.hk/epd/," the spokesman
noted.
End/Tuesday,
May 2, 2000
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