Cynthia Busuttil
Black dust in south 'less hazardous than car fumes'
PL calls for probe to identify source of dust
This photo, sent in by a Fgura resident, shows the amount of black dust accumulating in the town and surrounding localities.
The black dust plaguing some localities in the south was less of a health hazard than car fumes, according to respiratory doctor Martin Balzan.
The gritty dust particles - covering cars, roofs and backyards in Fgura, Paola, Tarxien, Zabbar and Zejtun - are too big to enter the respiratory airways and less harmful than the invisible exhaust fumes inhaled into people's lungs.
In 2001, hospitalisation rates from asthma in Fgura were three times the average in other localities. But a study carried out by Dr Balzan found this was not correlated to the power station emissions but to vehicles passing through the main road.
This did not mean the dust was of no concern, said Dr Balzan, who lives in the area.
"Notwithstanding the fact that it does not have an effect on asthma, it is not desirable to have such chemicals in the ecosystem," he said, adding that certain metals were carcinogenic and could have long-term health effects if they entered the water table or the food chain.
Earlier this week, Enemalta insisted the black dust was not spouting from the Marsa power station, and tests by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority to determine where it was coming from are still underway.
But locals are finding it hard to accept Enemalta's statement and even Dr Balzan suspects the problem was caused by a malfunction of the power station filters.
Fgura deputy mayor Anthony de Giovanni said the turbines lacked some of the necessary filters.
Fgura resident Rudolf Degiorgio said the dust was probably being emitted when the power station flushed its chimneys during night-time. "Every morning my light grey car is completely covered in dust, while the roof garden, which we would have swept the night before, is also full of black dust," he said.
The father-of-two voiced concern about the health effects of the dust, adding that he started suffering from hay fever since he moved to Fgura in 1998, while his nine-year-old son suffered from allergies.
A spokesman for Enemalta was asked whether the filters were working properly and whether any tests had been carried out to ensure there were no faults but no replies were forthcoming at the time of going to press.
The corporation said earlier this week that emissions had remained consistent over the past six months and were well within the stipulated limits.
Meanwhile, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority will be evaluating dust collected from roofs with samples taken from the power station's chimneys. Asked whether the dust had pushed emissions beyond EU-accepted levels, an authority spokesman said this was not the case. "It is more of an inconvenience than a health risk," he said.
Labour Party environment spokesman Leo Brincat yesterday held a press conference urging the government to identify the source of the dust and to shoulder its responsibility.
He said automated measuring systems should be immediately installed at the Delimara and Marsa power stations to calculate the levels of particles in its emissions.
Records of these emissions should be published regularly online.
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ABorg
Aug 2nd 2009, 17:04
Please do not waste time and money. The dust is soot. Similar to what the poor people of Marsa had to put up with in the 70s and 80s when the Marsa power station was converted to coal.
doris cassar
Aug 2nd 2009, 15:31
As already mentioned this is an inconvenience that we can do without, apart from being health hazard we have to wash roofs, yards and balconies everday. We cannot even open windows otherwise we would need to wash the floors as well. Mostly it seems that this black dust happens during the night. All local councils and people living in the effected areas should voice their views and make a stop to this inconvenience, we have had enough.
Anthony Roberts
Aug 2nd 2009, 14:30
My wife washed down the front of our house here in the south and within 24hours it was recoated with black dust.
Albert Bezzina
Aug 2nd 2009, 14:22
There is obviously no great intent at finding the source. The easiest way would be to place around 50 white adhesive sheets diffusely in affected areas to collect 'fallout'. The wind direction and intensity are monitored during the data collection. Sheets are collected, deposits fixed and replaced twice a day for a week. That would give a triangulation to the source when integrating data of deposit density, location of collecting site and wind direction. Triangulating to the source, however, may prove inconvenient!
Dr Balzan thinks that the particle size would not enter the smaller branches of the respiratory tract. He bases this on the assumption that all the dust particles swept from the roofs and yards are of a size superior to PM10. Low velocity winds would still cause smallest sized particulates to deposit in these areas. Dr Balzan also hints at heavy metals. These are found in the emissions from burning fuel oil - Power stations and heavy vehicles using illegal fuel cocktails. It would be interesting if Dr Balzan could equate the incidence of Fgura asthma sufferers of primary school children attending Fgura primary school (180m from main road) and those attending distant schools.
Ludwig Flask
Aug 2nd 2009, 13:32
Considered residue from 'chemical trails'?
Malta is dusty... black dust, white dust, fumes etc... is this why most Maltese suffer from asthma? and whom is liable? can this be a simliar case to "Corby Borough Council found liable for 'toxic soup' deformities"?
Joanne Micallef
Aug 2nd 2009, 12:39
All local councils concerned should unite and lodge a complaint to the EU.
Karl Axisa
Aug 2nd 2009, 12:13
@C.Scerri
The word "occasionally" here is an attempt to play the current situation in the localities concerned, down. This black sooth/dust inconvenience goes on all day and night 24/7. As with your situation at least you know the culprit and the authorities are dragging their feet. Here we 'do not' know who the culprit is and those who do are covering it/him/her/them up.
C.Scerri
Aug 2nd 2009, 11:18
So everybody speaks about the black dust that occasionally falls on Fgura but no one gives a hoot about the daily white dust and its cocktail once combined with diesel fumes, that settle on our homes in Attard! And here the culprit is known and has had numerous stop notices!
Where are the environmental organisations when you need them most?
Eric Camilleri
Aug 2nd 2009, 11:12
Not hazardous ? OK Call it an inconvenience that people can do without. That is exactly the spade size I collect from my shop's yard in Paola in about 4 to 5 days. Keep in mind the yard is simply a 6 x 2 meter yard.
claire farrugia
Aug 2nd 2009, 11:00
as far as I know according to EU Regulation, only certain amounts of dust in the air is tolerated, this should be brought to the attention of an EU court IMMEDIATELY since it seems that the maltese government is not doing anything about it, too much time has passed already and the local councils and inhabitants of these places should not wait any longer