The reports that no charge was observed at available monitoring stations, due to the recent fire in Geri, “are not representative of the actual charge of the affected areas and should not be taken into account in handling the consequences,” the Research Team said in a statement. of the Laboratory-Island of Excellence in Environmental Fluid Mechanics of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of the University of Cyprus, which is signed by Professor Marina Neophytou.
The statement issued on the occasion of the reports that have seen the light of day regarding the impact of the fire in the area of Geri-Idali and the burden on the atmosphere as a consequence, states that the burden on air quality in the affected areas “should be taken for granted.” , although it is not possible to measure it in the present circumstances “. It is explained that this is due to the fact that the location of the available permanent air quality monitoring stations in Cyprus in relation to the area of the fire and the direction of the winds, “does not make it possible to locate the charge”.
The Research Team states that the measurements of the Atmospheric Dynamics and Quality Monitoring Station “AURA” of the University of Cyprus show that, based on the variability of the wind direction in the 24 hours that followed the moment of the accidental fire, affects in the next few days the areas of Potamia, Louroutzina, Lympia and less of the areas of Geri-Idali, Troula and Avdelerou “.
The scientists also report that the state of the atmosphere and in particular its stability, the height of the atmospheric boundary layer and the speed of the winds as observed from relevant measurements at the AURA Monitoring Station, were such that they did not allow the vertical orientation in the development of the ship of toxic gases, but on the contrary, allowed its horizontal growth mainly with a horizontal “fence / ceiling” at a height consistent with the observations of the “AVRA” Station of the University of Cyprus.
“This results in a relatively limited dilution of toxic compounds, which directly affect areas close to the ground and therefore the inhabitants. The particles that have been produced and suspended, as well as any toxic chemicals that have adhered to them, are expected, for the most part, to settle to the ground in the above-mentioned areas, while a much smaller part of them will be able to escape to its higher layers. atmosphere. “Therefore, appropriate precautionary protection measures should be followed,” the statement said.
Source: KYPE
