Benzene air pollution

I refer to two articles: "Benzene air pollution among worst in Europe" (May 5) and "Study shows air becoming cleaner" of (June 28).

The first article was telling us that even a walk in the Maltese countryside gives you as much a risk of cancer as if you were walking in the streets of Paris. We were told that the studies conducted by the Environment Protection Department (now part of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority) and the university's chemistry department showed a level of benzene air pollution which is among the worst in Europe. It was said, that in Floriana, for example, the air contains 60 to 70 micrograms of benzene per cubic metre, while the limit of the WHO and the EU was five micrograms of benzene per cubic metre.

Now, recently, we could read a second article about this subject. But this time it showed a completely different picture! The second article had the information that results of regular surveys by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority showed a substantial drop of the level of benzene. This time we were told that the present average level of benzene in the air is below the German EU limit of 3.1 parts per billion.

This is confusing! Two studies of the same authority (Mepa) came out with completely different results, the first one saying that the benzene air pollution is among the worst in Europe, the second that the benzene air pollution is even below European limits.

The question now is: which study is right? Who is telling us the truth? How is the real benzene air pollution in Malta? Such confusion emanating from these contradictory studies' results leads to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority losing credibility. I just cannot understand why they frighten us first and then try to calm us down again.