CYPRUS’ air quality scale hit red yesterday as dust from north Africa enveloped large areas of the island and warnings were issued to vulnerable members of the public to stay indoors.
The Department of Labour Inspection, said that at noon yesterday the hourly concentration of PM10 was 1,388mg per cubic metre in Nicosia, in Larnaca 1,370mg, in Paphos 574mg and 1,747mg per cubic metre in Limassol.
PM10 or ‘fine particulate matter’ when inhaled is transferred to the lungs, where it can cause inflammation and aggravation of lung and heart related-diseases. PM10 is mainly present in pollutant emissions from industry, traffic and domestic heating.
The department said it expected the average 24-hour concentration of PM10 yesterday to exceed the limit of 50mg per cubic metre, as defined in the law.
Meteorological Officer Marios Theophilou yesterday said visibility in all areas of Cyprus was reduced, especially in Larnaca.
“The dust in some areas was quite dense; specifically in Larnaca, visibility was just eight hundred metres, in Paphos it was six kilometres, Athalassa was three kilometres and Akrotiri was three kilometres,” said Theophilou.
On Thursday the average 24-hour concentration was between 40mg per cubic metre and 94mg per cubic metre, depending on the location.
The authorities urged the public, particularly vulnerable groups to avoid being out in the open due to the fact that “the average hourly inhalable particles in the atmosphere are expected to exceed permissible limits”.
“Because of the small size of the breathable particles and their negative effect on human health, the public and especially children, old people and patients are advised to avoid the outdoors,” a statement said. It also recommended that workers in open spaces use appropriate means of personal protection.
According to Savvas Kleanthous, head of air quality at the Ministry of Labour, they were measuring the air quality every hour so that the public could be informed, “especially asthmatics and anyone with respiratory problems,” he said.
“The smallest limit is from midnight to midnight, so we won’t know until tomorrow [Saturday] whether we’ve exceeded the 24-hour limit,” said Kleanthous.
The Pulmonary Clinic of the Nicosia General Hospital also issued a warning yesterday. “If it’s necessary to leave the house, people should take precautions such as wearing a mask and they should restrict themselves to completely essential movements,” said Tania Adamides, assistant to the manager at the clinic.
The forecast is for the dust to reduce gradually today and over the weekend.
Cyprus is currently facing the European Court of Justice over its non-compliance with air quality limit values for the amount PM 10 in the atmosphere, even though Cypriot officials say the island is particularly dust-prone through no fault of its own
In 2005, 2006 and 2007 Cyprus had 35 violations concerning the levels of dust in the air, which is the maximum amount of violations it can have.
