Authorities issue new warning of high dust concentrations in air

Authorities on Wednesday warned vulnerable groups to take precautions because of high concentrations of dust in the atmosphere, the third such warning issued in as many days.

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 elapsed, as the small size of respirable particles in dust may have negative effects on human health, the labour inspection department said citing the results of measurements from ground stations of its air quality monitoring network

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

The latest hourly dust concentrations measured at 7:00 am in the following areas are: Nicosia: 73.9  μg/m3; Limassol: 42  μg/m3; Larnaca: 47.9  μg/m3; Paphos: 105  μg/m3; Paralimni: 59.4  μg/m3; Zygi: 35.9  μg/m3 and Ayia Marina Xyliatou: 59.1  μg/m3

Dust refers to respirable particulate matter of a diameter smaller than 10 μm (PM10) in the air. According to the relevant legislation, a limit value not to be exceeded is set for the daily average 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”.