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Press
Release
API
pushed up by severe tropical storm Nari
The weather
condition has pushed up the Air Pollution Indexes (APIs) at
some air monitoring stations, the Principal Environmental
Protection Officer, Mr Raymond Leung, said today (September
15).
The APIs
reached the "very high" band at three roadside air monitoring
stations in Central, Causeway Bay and Mong Kok starting yesterday
evening.
The APIs
recorded at the three general air monitoring stations in Tung
Chung, Central and Western District and Kwai Chung exceeded
100 this afternoon.
Mr Leung
said under the influence of severe tropical storm Nari near
Taiwan, the atmosphere of the region had been very calm and
stagnant over the past two days. Air pollutants are trapped
under the stagnant atmospheric condition.
"Nitrogen
dioxide is the main pollutant causing a rise in the APIs at
the three roadside stations and the general station in Kwai
Chung.
"The
increase in the API readings at the general stations in Tung
Chung and Central and Western District is mainly caused by
another pollutant, ozone.
"We expect
the APIs for some stations to remain at high levels for a
couple of days until Nari is landed and disperse," Mr Leung
noted.
Mr Leung
added, "Although we may still experience occasional episodes
of high air pollution levels under certain weather conditions,
the Government's air pollution control programme has started
to show real benefits and we expect to see further improvements
in our air quality in the coming years."
In 1999,
the three roadside stations together measured 1 288 hourly
readings exceeding 100. In 2000, the number of hourly readings
exceeding 100 dropped to 441. In 2001 up to now, this number
is 262. The number of smoky vehicles has also reduced.
As at
September 7, 12 111 diesel taxis have been replaced by LPG
vehicles, accounted for about two-thirds of the taxi fleet.
The number of pre-Euro light diesel vehicles retrofitted with
particulate reduction devices is 17 689.
All diesel
vehicles have switched to using ultra low sulphur diesel.
The franchised
bus companies have retrofitted about 2 000 Pre-Euro and Euro
I buses with catalytic converters at the end of June.
Members
of the public can check the API readings of different locations
on 2827 8541 or from the EPD's website at http://www.info.gov.hk/epd.
End/Saturday,
September 15, 2001
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