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maltatoday WEDNESDAY 8 NOVEMBER 2017 News MASSIMO COSTA AIR quality tests show legal levels of noxious gases; tests on burnt material show small quantity of residual hazard- ous chemicals The levels of potentially toxic gas, as tested a few weeks after the Sant'Antnin waste treat- ment plant fire, were found to be minimal and within the legal parameters, a report has found. The fire had led to the destruction of a waste sorting shed., This information emerged in response to a parliamen- tary question, posed yesterday to environment minister Jose Herrera, who laid on the ta- ble a 54-page scientific report detailing the results of testing done on burnt waste from the plant, undergone by an Italian laboratory. A note, by Industrial and Environmental Chemist Rob- ert Cortis explained that air quality monitory tests within the Sant'Antnin building, and next to the burnt shed, had been undertaken a few weeks after the fire, and did not show any significant lev- els of toxic gases. This result was expected, given that there was no major active generating source - in this case, fire. Cortis said that a number of weeks after this test, he also carried out a bulk analysis of nine samples of residual burnt material. The number was determined following the standard methodology of taking into consideration the volume of material pre- sent and ensuring propor- tional representation. The results showed that re- sidual hazardous chemicals were present in relatively small amounts. This was so because a small quantity of chemicals generated in the fire are absorbed into the residual solid bulk material, and are not released as gas. Such material cannot be re- leased into the air unless it is burnt again. The material burnt in the fire was paper and plastic, Cortis said, and because of its composition it was classi- fied as being non-hazardous Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF). He added that paper and plastic burn easily to release energy, and, if controlled, this can be used to gener- ate power without harming the enviroment. However, if burnt in an uncontrolled environment, such as dur- ing the fire, hazardous gases are released. The risk of ex- posure to humans existed at the point when the fire was ongoing, as the wind could disperse the gases. Toxic gas levels in air minimal after Sant' Antnin recycling plant fire Transport minister Ian Borg announced yesterday that work is set to start on Monday on the complex EU-funded Marsa junction. The project is set to involve the construction of a multi-level intersection to improve traffic flow between the South and the rest of the island. Marsa junction works to start PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES BIANCHI