|
Press
Releases - 1998
New
air quality monitoring stations
Starting
from next Monday (October 5), air quality data from two new
monitoring stations will be added to the Air Pollution Index
(API) published by the Environmental Protection Department
(EPD).
In addition
to the existing two roadside stations and eight general stations,
a roadside station at Central and a general station at Tap
Mun will come into full operation.
The Principal
Environmental Protection Officer, Mr Pang Sik-wing, said:
"This is part of our on-going effort to provide more and better
air quality information to the public."
The roadside
API from the new monitoring station in Central will provide
information of relevance to members of the public who spend
considerable time at street level in busy commercial and financial
districts with high-rise buildings in the vicinity.
The API
from the Tap Mun monitoring station will represent the air
quality one will be exposed to in areas with little traffic
and other pollution sources such as the rural districts and
country parks.
"Since
the prevailing wind of Hong Kong is mainly easterly or northeasterly,
for most of the time the Tap Mun station will capture the
quality of air before its entry into the urban areas. This
will help us understand better how air pollution forms and
evolves over time and distance," said Mr Pang.
Members
of the public can obtain API readings directly by calling
2827 8541. The information is also available on the EPD Internet
website at http://www.info.gov.hk/epd/. Leaflets explaining
the new API system are also available at various offices of
EPD.
End/Wednesday,
September 30, 1998
|
