High concentrations of dust in the air on Monday

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’
High concentrations of dust are observed in the air on Monday, according to measurements from ground Stations of the Air Quality Monitoring Network operated by the Department of Labour Inspection.
The Department said in a press release that it urges the public, and particularly any vulnerable groups of population (children, older people, and the infirm) 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.
Based on the Safety and Health at Work (Code of Practice for the Protection of Persons at Work During Dust Episodes) Order of 2022 (P. I. 410/2022), 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 further noted.
Hourly dust concentrations measured at 10:00 am were 40.1 μg/m3 in Nicosia, 133.0 μg/m3 in Limassol, 65.1 μg/m3 in Larnaca, 83.8 μg/m3 in Paralimni, 191.0 μg/m3 in Paphos, 42.7 μg/m3 in Zygi and 53.5 μg/m3 in Ayia Marina Xyliatou.
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’.
Source: CNA