Pollution levels: renewed fears

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33878, 25 June 1975, Page 16

Pollution levels: renewed fears

High air-pollution levels were again recorded in Christchurch on several days last week, according to figures released yesterday by the Health Department, and warnings have been repeated by the medical profession that more deaths and hospital admissions are possible.

The highest level for smoke pollution recorded over a 24-hour period was on Thursday of last week, when the average smoke concentration in the centre of the city was 397 microgrammes of smoke per cubic metre of air. In the inner suburbs, a level of 506 was recorded, and in the outer suburbs, 270.

The day before, the maximum two-hour smoke concentration reached 1102 in the centre of the city, and 3076 in Linwood. These were the highest two-hour concentrations recorded.

( Levels of sulphur and nitrogen oxides were correspondlingly high. In the centre of I the city the level of nitrogen

oxides reached 319 on Thursday, and 226 and 178 on the two following days. Sulphur oxide concentrations also reached their peak on Thursday; 76 in the centre of the city; 24 in the inner suburbs; and 31 in the outer suburbs. On Saturday, smoke concentration reached 126 in the city centre, 133 in the inner suburbs, and 61 in the outer suburbs.