LAHORE, July 24: The latest results from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) mobile air quality monitoring station continue to present a bleak picture for road users in Lahore.

Babar Zaheer, an EPA official, said the station continuously monitored levels of respirable dust, ozone, non-methane hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides from a van parked at Yateem Khana, Multan Road between 2pm on July 23 to 3pm on July 24.

The station recorded ozone levels of 191 ug/m3 (microgrammes per metre cubed), which exceeds the international World Health Organisation guidelines of 100 ug/m3. The level of respirable dust was 238 ug/m3, whereas the WHO standard is 20 ug/m3.

The level of non-methane hydrocarbons was 6-7 parts per million, the WHO standard is 1-1.5. The level of NOx was an astonishing 350 ug/m3, whereas the WHO standard is 40 ug/m3. This level far exceeded the 112.50 ug/m3 recorded at the EPA’s monitoring station at Town Hall between May 26 and June 6, which at that time set a record.