Government Laboratory

The laboratory provides centralised analytical services to environmental
protection activities. A total of 217 032 tests on air particulate, terrestrial
waters, sediment, aquatic species, effluent and sewage were conducted
in 1997 for pollution monitoring. The laboratory also advised on the
analytical requirements of government projects in environmental
assessment to safeguard the quality of data produced by contract
laboratories. Monitoring work aside, the laboratory also attended incidents
of gas emission or chemical leakage to give professional advice at the
scene.

Independent from the enforcement authority, the laboratory served as the
referee analyst under various ordinances and regulations in environmental
protection. Some 587 samples were examined for litigation purposes in
1997, with occasional involvement in on-site measurements.

Underpinning the laboratory's service to clients is a strong commitment
to research and development in analytical chemistry, with increasing
collaboration from the academic institutions. Highlights of the applied
research in 1997 included the analysis of volatile organics with canister
sampling, carbon speciation of air particulates, semi-volatile organic
pollutants in water, and ultra-trace heavy metals in sea water with on-line
chelation. These studies should culminate in a broader range of scientific
data to facilitate the development of sound environmental policies.

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