Caution urged over high dust concentrations

Vulnerable groups were urged to avoid going outside on Tuesday because of high concentrations of dust in the air.

Citing measurements from ground stations of the Air Quality Monitoring Network, the department of labour inspection urged caution, especially as concerns vulnerable groups.

“The public, and particularly any vulnerable groups of population (children, older people, and the infirm) are urged to avoid open areas until the phenomenon 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 (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.

In detail, the latest hourly dust concentrations measured at 8:00 am in the following areas are:

Nicosia:                          98  μg/m3

Limassol:                        81  μg/m3

Larnaca:                         58  μg/m3

Paphos:                          63  μg/m3

Paralimni:                      58  μg/m3

Zygi:                                46  μg/m3

Ayia Marina Xyliatou:  55  μg/m3

It is noted that ‘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 meter).

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