High level of fine dust in Msida area - AD

Alternattiva Demokratika's candidates for the MEP elections yesterday pledged to lobby to reduce harmful emissions as the rate of pollutants in the air continues to exceed EU limits.

During a news conference in front of the Malta Environmental and Planning Authority's air quality monitoring stations in Msida, AD's two MEP candidates pointed out that the area had high levels of fine dust particles, known as PM10.

According to EU standards the annual limit value for these particles is 40 micrograms per cubic metre but Malta exceeds this several times over.

AD energy spokesman Ralph Cassar explained that PM10 adversely affected human health and was known to cause nose and throat irritation as well as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

He said that, if elected to the European Parliament, AD was committed to ensuring that emission standards for new cars, especially heavy goods vehicles, were strictly adhered to.

In order to tackle this emission problem it was important to rejuvenate the country's car fleet and introduce incentives for cleaner cars, he said.

Mepa runs four automated air measuring stations at Msida, Kordin, Zejtun and Attard. A fifth has been commissioned in Għarb, Gozo.