The B.C. Ministry of Environment and Northern Health issued the first air quality advisory of the year this afternoon.
The advisory was issued because of high levels of fine particulate air pollution due mainly to road dust, said the agencies. Other contributors are emissions from industry, and transportation sources such as automobiles, trucks and rail traffic.
At the province's downtown monitoring station, the 24-hour rolling average for fine particulates 10 microns and smaller was measured at 55 micrograms per cubic metre. That exceeds the province's provincial objective of 50 micrograms per cubic metres. At the BCR industrial site, the level of fine particulates was 70, while at College Heights the level was 23.
