Warning issued over dust in the atmosphere

Authorities have issued a dust warning for Monday and urged vulnerable groups to avoid going outdoors.

The department of labour inspection said the high concentrations of dust have been measured at their ground stations of its air quality monitoring network.

The public, and particularly any vulnerable groups of population (children, older people, and the infirm) are urged to avoid circulating in open spaces until the observed episode has passed as the small size of respirable particles in dust may have negative effects on human health, it said.

Employers must take appropriate measures after assessing any risks that their employees may face while working in open spaces. It is recommended that workers in such spaces use appropriate means of personal protection, it added.

According to the statement, the latest hourly dust concentrations measured at 8am were:

Nicosia: 122.4 μg/m3; Limassol:72.4 μg/m3; Larnaca: 81 μg/m3; Paphos: 89.4 μg/m3; Paralimni: 50.8 μg/m3;  Zygi: 50.9 μg/m3 and Ayia Marina Xyliatou: 49 μg/m3

Dust refers to respirable particulate matter of a diameter smaller than 10 μm (PM10) in the air. According to the relevant legislation, the amount should not exceed concentrations at 50 μg/m3 (micrograms per cubic metre).

More information on the measured pollutant concentrations and real-time updates is available online at www.airquality.gov.cy, and also through the free mobile application ‘Air Quality Cyprus’.