Shutdown and shut up

On the feast of St Lawrence I rang the 24-hour telephone number for Bathing Water Quality at the Environmental Health Unit to check the quality of some bathing sites. The computer-linked recorded message was down for a few hours due to an upgrade of...

The next day it was back in service. Several days later telephones at the unit rang unanswered again as officers were prevented from responding to incoming calls from the public due to industrial action.

So is Pretty Bay polluted or not? Should people risk swimming at Xghajra? Between the time a site is sampled and the results are e-mailed to ministries and local councils a week has gone by.

Midway through the May to October sampling season, two out of three sites monitored by health inspectors at Birzebbuga appear to be sensitive to pollution. The microbe count shot up to 2,800 per 100 ml one week. But because detected levels of bacteria (of the type found in sewage) fluctuate so much from one week to the next the contamination is not considered constant enough for that part of the bay to be flagged as a non-bathing zone. The Water Services Corporation were informed but could find no blockage.

At Xghajra, where ladders encourage bathers to enter the water even though the Public Health Department cautions the public to avoid swimming near sewage outlets, there are two monitoring sites. Despite the nearby sewage outfall both appear to have passed the Class 2 grading in keeping with the requirements of the Barcelona Convention which calls for a minimum of half the samples to reach a certain standard.

Line fishermen delight in the murky waters of Ic-Cummnija, enriched with nutrients from the nearby sewage outfall serving the north of the island. Anchor Bay is also a Class 2 site according to samples taken near the Popeye Village film set.

During the 12th week of monitoring, three out of six sites at Sliema are classed; in the same category, as Anchor Bay and Xghajra. Of the six sites monitored at St Paul's Bay, Tax-Xama also features as a Class 2. A site which fails to comply (below 50%) is graded Class 3. In the past three years there have been no reports of a Class 3 site.

During the 13th week of monitoring, as the halcyon days of the August shutdown set in, a deterioration in the quality of bathing water was noted at four more bathing sites in Malta and Gozo. Monitored sites on the Nadur side of Ramla Bay and the inner part of the bay at Xlendi dipped into the Class Two category, although they are still found to be acceptable within Barcelona Convention parameters. Mistra Bay, near the fish farm and two sites inside St Paul's Bay also joined the Class 2 list when higher levels of coliforms were found to be present than at the previous sampling.

Most of the monitored sites are of a superior grade, Class 1 status, which exceeds the requirements of the Barcelona Convention with readings up to 90% rather than the bare minimum of 50% reaching the mark. The readings for St George's Bay are posted weekly on site.

The recorded message on the public information automated system, made available by the Environmental Health Unit (EHU), frequently reports that all samples submitted for analysis have been found to be at an acceptable level and that all monitored sites are fit for bathing.

Laboratory analysis of samples for faecal coliforms has resulted in two out of 87 sites monitored for the weekly report on bathing water quality failing to comply with EU mandatory values for at least two weeks running during August.

Reaction from EHU

Principal Health Inspector Charles Bonnici comments:

"We have two sites A 14 (Birzebbuga) and A 09 (on the right-hand side of the waterpolo pitch at Marsaxlokk) that have failed the EU Mandatory Levels. This may obviously change by the end of the programme. However, when we had high counts of microbiological parameters the Department adopts a protocol to repeat the sample and confirm results."

"If results are well within the recommended acceptable levels no further action is taken although other government organisations such as WSC are also informed to carry out the necessary investigations from their end vis-à-vis the sewerage system in the vicinity of the affected area."

"If the repeat samples collected from the same site confirms the results, i.e. higher counts than the recommended levels, the Department will issue a health warning and temporarily close that part of the bay."

Referring to the excessive levels of bacteria found at Pretty Bay and Marsaxlokk in breach of the directive, Mr Bonnici comments:

"In both these cases when we had high counts to our first sample, these were not confirmed in our repeat samples, thus there was no need to close the bay."

Regarding how Malta is going one better by classifying sites differently he adds:

"A Class 2 site classifies exactly with Barcelona Convention criteria. Class 1 sites are of a better quality than the requirements of the Barcelona Convention Criteria which classification has been adopted by this Department. If we had to use the requirements of the Barcelona Convention Class 2 site will be classified as Class 1, that is it qualifies."

The EU Commission has been looking at strengths and weaknesses in the management of bathing water quality in Europe. A new directive in the making proposes near-real time information about bathing areas, the obligation to act within a certain timeframe when water quality deteriorates and use of the Internet to provide information on water quality.

50-metre tower at Dwejra

The effects of a proposed base station antenna on a hilltop near Mgarr must be considered within the wider context of the many electro-magnetic frequencies which are increasingly invading our air space.

Electro-smog is the total emission from several sources, each one by itself not emitting much, but all of them together exceeding the recommended levels of emission. It is a difficult problem to solve but one which has to be addressed taking into account the foreseen increase in transmitter masts and site sharing.

The electricity that comes out of every power socket has associated low frequency electromagnetic fields. Various kinds of higher frequency radiowaves are used to transmit information, whether television antennae, radio stations or mobile phone base stations.

Every time we use an electrical device such as a hairdryer we are exposed to an electric field. This seems to lie within our tolerance levels as much as we are able to withstand low levels of pollutants although some individuals may be more sensitive than others. Long hours spent in front of a computer screen or frequent use of mobile phones add to the everyday build-up of electro-magnetic fields we have to cope with.

When we are further exposed to power transmission lines and base station antennae the dose of radiation builds up. It is becoming difficult to find a space, indoors or outdoors, which is free of electromagnetic radiation of some sort.

Mounting public concern, the development of new technologies and the need to respond more rapidly to new scientific evidence has prompted early action.

Recommendations

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the European Commission have been concerned about the effects of electro-magnetic frequencies (EMF) on human health ever since scientists were first asked for their opinion on the health effects seven years ago.

Professor G. Tamino* was nominated by the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy to comment on the Commission's proposed recommendations. The Tamino report raised several questions about the approach taken in the Commission's proposal, in favour of a much more restrictive text imposing considerable reductions in exposure levels.

Research carried out so far has led to a wide consensus on the short-term effects of EMF exposure. These are mainly effects on electrically excitable cells at lower frequencies and heating at higher frequencies. This discovery prompted a reaction in the media which warned of mobile phone users running the risk they could damage or "fry" their brain cells through repeated use.

The jury is still out over the long-term effects although it is widely acknowledged that possible consequences include carcinogenic (e.g. leukaemia and other cancers) and biological effects. Since it will take some years for the required research to be completed WHO has issued a series of recommendations. Consultation with local authorities and the public in siting new power lines or mobile phone base stations is high on the list. According to WHO:

"Siting decisions are often required to take into account aesthetics and public sensitivities. Open communication during the planning stages can help create public understanding and greater acceptance of a new facility."

Other protective measures include erecting of barriers around strong electromagnetic field sources and setting up an effective health information system to raise general awareness of the issue.

A decisive principle guiding the siting of base stations insists on a minimum distance away from inhabited areas, especially those where young children spend a good part of their day. Antennae should be as far as possible from people and environmentally sensitive areas. The power drops off proportionately with the square of the distance. As with chimneys, the higher the tower the smaller the effect on the immediate area at ground level. A height of 50 metres is being considered for the Dwejra antenna.

Some countries have installed "zones" near hospitals and schools where EMF frequency limits are more restrictive. For example, Slovenian law has created two zones which reflect different levels of protection against radiation. Spain has set up security zones for sensitive areas, such as schools, health care centres, hospitals and public parks.

Even though Switzerland is not an EU member state, a close watch is kept on this country's approach to the issue. The Swiss view is that while the science world awaits further confirmation on the possible harmful effects of electromagnetic fields early precautionary measures are needed.

The European Commission sees itself as the mediator between science, business and the public to establish a balance between encouraging innovations with high potential societal benefits on the one hand and not exposing the public to significant involuntary risks on the other.

The Commission aims to encourage research and develop initiatives which decrease public exposure to EMFs. This is especially so regarding recent findings on the possible epidemiological association between public exposure to extremely low frequencies fields and an increase in childhood leukaemia. The introduction of third generation mobile phones will lead to the deployment of new networks which could increase total body exposure to radiofrequency fields.

It is up to the member states to implement the recommendation guidelines regarding EMFs into national regulations, reporting back to the Commission about the progress in this regard. According to a report recently filed in Brussels Malta does not yet have any legally binding measures for protecting the public against electromagnetic fields. Since the closing down of the Wireless Telegraphy Department last month the responsibility for implementing the guidelines now lies with the Malta Communications Authority.

Shut up

An old friend and present-day colleague once pronounced: "The Green Movement will not shut up". I think of these words every single day.

* Professor Tamino visited Malta last June at the invitation of AD - the Green Party for a debate on genetically modified organisms.

razammit@hotmail.com