8 Key Facts About Air Pollution In Hong Kong - Green Queen

In Hong Kong, there are 6 main types of pollutants: sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, ozone, PM10 and PM2.5 respirable fine particles, and ... HomeHealth8KeyFactsAboutAirPollutionInHongKong 8KeyFactsAboutAirPollutionInHongKong HealthHongKong BySallyHo PublishedonDec12,2021 LastupdatedDec12,2021 37  1   38Shares8MinsRead JusthowbadistheairpollutioninHongKong?Andwhatcanbedoneaboutit?Here’severythingyouneedtoknow. In2019,theAmericanWomen’sAssociation(AWA)ofHongKonghostedapaneltalkonairpollutioninthecityatExploriumHongKong’sexcitingspace.Thepanel,whichwasmoderatedbyGreenQueenfounderSonalieFigueiras,wasjoinedbykeyexpertsonthetopic,includingCEOofCleanAirNetwork(CAN)PatrickFung,teamleaderatHKUST’sairpollutionappPRAISE-HKMichelleWong,AssistantDirectoroftheEPD’sAirPolicyDivisionDavidHo,andpresidentoftheHKInstituteofAllergyDrMarcoHo.Duringtheeducativediscussion,welearnedagreatdealabouttheimpact,keymisconceptionsandadviceregardingairpollutioninHongKong.BelowwesharethekeytakeawaysfromthisoutstandingdiscussiononHongKong’sairpollutionproblem. Source:GreenQueen 1)Thereare6mainpollutantsinHongKong InHongKong,thereare6maintypesofpollutants:sulphurdioxide,nitrogenoxides,carbonmonoxide,ozone,PM10andPM2.5respirablefineparticles,andhydrocarbons.AccordingtoDavidHo,AssistantDirectoroftheAirPolicyDivisionunderthegovernment’sEnvironmentalProtectionDepartment(EPD),themainsourcesofthese6maintypesofHongKong’sairpollutantsaremotorvehicles,marinevesselsandpowerplants.Onthestreetlevel,dieselvehicles–especiallybusesandtrucks–arethemainculpritsforpollution.  2)Pollutionisassociatedwithserious&chronichealthconsequences Welearnedalotabouttheserioushealthimplicationsofpoorairquality,especiallyrighthereinHongKong.TheCEOoftheCleanAirNetwork(CAN),PatrickFung,spokeaboutthelistofstudiesfindingalarmingcomplicationsassociatedwithairpollutioninchildren,includingadversebirthoutcomes,infantmortality,neurodevelopment,childobesityandasthma–justtonameafew. ThiswascorroboratedbyDrMarcoHo,formerdeputychiefexecutiveatQueenMaryHospitalandanallergenspecialistinpediatricimmunologyandinfectiousdiseases,whosaidthatpollution“doesaffectthequalityoflifeofeczemapatients,whohavetogoformorehospitalvisitsandsufferitchyskin”aswellasvulnerablegroups,suchasthosewithpreexistingheartandlungcomplications,smokers,childrenandtheelderly.Thesegroups,heexplained,areatriskofhealthissues,especiallyfromPM2.5micro-particlesthatcandepositintheinnerairways,whichhasledtomorehospitalvisitsduringpoorairqualityepisodes.  Oneofthestudiescitedinthetalkwasthe2006CivicExchangeReportconductedbyHKUSTandCUHK,whichfoundthatairpollutionwasresponsiblefor6.8millionfamilydoctorvisitsrelatedtorespiratoryproblems,64,000hospitalbed-daysand1,600prematuredeathseachyearinHongKong. 3)It’simportanttounderstandthedifferencebetweenozone(affectsshort-termhealth)andPM2.5(affectslong-termhealth) Whatcausespollution?Thetwokeyplayersthatworryresearchers,doctorsandofficialsarePM2.5andozone.PM2.5isdefinedasparticulatesthatcanbesuspendedintheair,andarelessthan2.5micronsinsize.Themainsourceofthesetinyparticles,whichcangettrappedinourairwaysandlungs,causingcomplications,arevehicleemissionsontheroadside. AsDavidHoexplained,tacklingPM2.5levelsismorestraightforward,controllingvehicleemissionsiskeyhere,andHongKonghasmadegoodprogressonthisfront. AsperHKUSTMichelleWong,“PM2.5ismoreaboutlong-termhealthrisk.Duetoitssupersmallsize,PM2.5islikeatinyvehicleandisablebringothertoxicsubstancessuchasheavymetals(damagingnervoussystem)orcarcinogensallfromcombustionsourcesdowntoourbloodstreams(mightleadtobloodvesseldamageandblockage),toourheart(heartattack),ourbrain(Stroke)andotherpartsofourbodywiththepotentialtocausecancers.Asthetoxinsandcarcinogensareunlikelytoleaveourbody,theycontinuetoaccumulatecausinglong-termhealtheffects.  Ozone,ontheotherhand,isnotdirectlyemittedintotheairbutisinsteadcreatedthroughachemicalreactionbetweennitrogenoxidesandvolatileorganiccompounds.DavidHoexplainedthereisaphotochemicalreactionthatoccurswhenpollutantsemittedbycars,powerplants,industrialboilers,refineriesandothersourcesinteractwithsunlight. Ozoneismoredifficulttomanagebecausethereisnotjustonesourceofcausality. MichelleWongadded:“ozoneisbadforshort-termhealthmainlyduetoit’s“oxidative”(reactive)nature.Ozonecanirritateeyes,andwhenweinhaleozonefromnose,throatdowntothetracheaandlungs,thegaswillattackthe mucousmembranelining alongthewholetrackleadingtodifferentlevelsofdiscomfortduetosymptomslike coughing,wheezing,inflammationoflungsanddifficultiesinbreathing.Suchreactivegascouldalsoworsenchronicdiseasesuchasasthma.” 4)Variationinairqualityindexesdependsoninterpretationofsensordata Haveyoueverwonderedwhydifferentappsorwebsitesshowdifferentlevelsofseverityorhealthriskwhenitcomestoairquality?Turnsout,whilethebasicmeasurementsystemusedaroundtheworldisfairlystandard(allsensorsarebasicallythesame),thereisnouniversalairqualityinformationsystem,accordingtoDavidHo.  Thecoredifferenceliesintheinterpretationofdata.TheEPD,forinstance,collectstheirowndatafrommonitorsandpresentsthedatatothepublicthroughtheAirQualityHealthIndex(AQHI),whichisbasedonthecorrelationbetweenpollutantconcentrationsandhospitaladmissions,andthealgorithm’sweightingtendstobeheavyonozone.ThismeansthattheAQHIisacomparisonbetweenthemeasuresofairqualityandshort-termpublichospitalvisitsinHongKong.Differentcountriesororganisationsmightusedifferentsetsofcomparisonstointerpretthepublichealthriskofthecurrentairqualitylevels.InHongKong,ozoneisakeyconsiderationfortheAQIbecauseoftheriseinshort-termhealthissueslinkedtoitspresenceintheair. ThismightalsoexplainwhyHKUST’sPRAISE-HK-amobileappthatletsusersaccessreal-timeairqualityinformationwithin2-metres,andbasedonweatherandpollutiondatamodelling,predictsairquality48-hoursinadvance–canshowadifferentsetofinformationforitsusers.SeniorcommunicationsmanagerfortheprojectMichelleWongexplainedthattheycombinedataprovidedbytheEPD,aswellasfromtheirownsensorstocreateapredictivemodelforthelevelofairqualitywithinatwo-metreradiusoftheuser.Theappoffersmodelleddata verifiedbygovernmentsensors,notdatadirectlyabstractedfromsensors,animportantdistinction SatelliteImagesofHongKongPM2.5ConcentrationinHongKong2001-2017(Source:HKUST) 5)WehaveactuallyseenimprovementsinairqualityinHongKong  Whileitmightcomeasasurprisetomany,HongKong’sairqualityhasactuallyimprovedoverthepastfewyears.AccordingtoDavidHo,concentrationsofallpollutants,exceptozone,havebeensubstantiallyreduced.PM2.5levels,inparticular,peakedin2004buthassincebeenfalling(seeaboveimage),leadingtomorehoursofhighvisibilityinmorerecentyears,accordingtofiguresbytheHongKongObservatory(HKO). Hoexplainedthatthishasmainlycomeaboutdueto“strongcollaborativeeffortsbetweentheEPDandGuangdongauthoritiestosetoutreductiontargetstocontrolregionalairpollution.”Someofthesemeasuresincluderequiringnewpowerplantstousecleanerfuel,suchasnaturalgas,andexistingplantstoinstallemissionreductiondevicesandshiftawayfromcoal.HongKonghasalsobeenthefirstcityinAsiatorequireallmarinevesselstousecompliantfuelwhileberthing.Bytheendofthisyear,Hosaysthatthegovernmentwillhavephasedoutall80,000olddieselvehiclesofftheroad(currently76,000havebeenremoved).  ThebrighterpictureonHongKong’sairqualityshouldn’twarrantanycomplacency,however.Thoughwehavemadesomeimprovements,thereisstilla“longwaytogo,”warnedPatrickFungofCAN.   6)ButozoneremainshardtocontrolinHongKong  Goodnewsaside,HongKongisstillbattlingground-levelozonepollution,whichhasrisenovertheyears.Asmentionedbefore,ozoneisdifficulttocontrolbecausetherearenospecificsourcestotargetforreduction,andozoneisaregionalissue.Instead,itisformedbytheinteractionofultraviolet(UV)lightfromthesunonnitrogenoxides.Thismeansthatwearemorelikelytobeaffectedbyozoneduringhotsunnydays,thoughtheproblemcanstillpersistduringthecoldermonthsoftheyear. WhenaskedaboutwhatHongKongauthoritiesaredoingtocontrolozone,DavidHosharedthatmorestringentmeasureshavetobeintroducedacrossallemissionsources,whichwillrequiremoreregionalgovernmentpartnerships,asozonecanbecarriedoverbystrongwinds.PatrickFungfromCANalsounderlinedtheneedforcollaborationbetweenmultipledisciplines,fromnon-profitorganisationstopolicyexpertsandgovernmentaldecision-makers,aswellasacrosscountriesintheregioninordertoeffectivelycleanupHongKong’sair.  7)CombatingPM2.5remainsakeygoal Ontheotherhand,otherpollutantssuchassulphurdioxide,carbonmonoxideandparticulatesareeasiertotargetbecausetheycomefromdirectorprimarysources.Currently,thegovernmentisveryactiveintargetingPM2.5pollutionbecauseitremainsthemostdangerousforlong-termhealth.Forinstance,theEPDhasissuedlimitsonthesulphurcontentofvehiclesandtakendiesel-fuelledcarsofftheroad,whichhascontributedtothedropinparticulates.Inthelongterm,thebureauaimstopromotethewideruseofelectricvehiclesandencourageelectrificationofpublictransportationthroughsubsidiesandbuildingcharginginfrastructure.DrMarcoHoagreedthatPM2.5remainsakeychallenge,becauseitcorrelateswithbothacuteandchronichealthcomplications,includinglong-termprematuredeath.  8)Itisharmfultoexerciseandworkoutdoorsduringhighairpollutionepisodes Whilesomemightthinkthatexerciseisalwaysbeneficial,thisisnotalwaysthecaseinthemiddleofahighlypollutedday.AccordingtoDrMarcoHo,duringhighpollutionepisodes,weshouldavoidexercisingoutdoorsbecauseitcouldnegativelyaffectyourVo2maxandredbloodcellcount. 9)Certainsupplementshelpcombatairpollutioneffects Inadditiontostickingtoindoorexercise,HorecommendedtakingmorevitaminCandE,usingappssuchasPRAISE-HKtomakeinformeddecisionsaboutanyoutdooractivity,andwearingmasksifstayingoutdoorsisunavoidable. 10)Environmentaljusticeshouldbepartoftheconversation PatrickFungmadeapointtobringupthehealthrisksofpoorairforroadsideworkers,suchasthoseworkingonconstructionsites,andstudentsinlocalschoolswithpoorventilationinfrastructurefaceduringpoorairqualitydays.Ashepointedout,theydon’thaveachoiceinwhethertheyareexposedtoroadsidepollutionandstayingindoors-foreconomicreasons,theyhavetodotheirjob.Speakingontheissue,Fungsaid:“IsenvironmentaljusticeavaluethataglobalcitylikeHongKongwouldliketopursue?Weneedtoformulateaplantoimproveneighbourhoodairqualityandscale-upsolutionsforeveryoneinthecommunity.”Wecouldn’tagreemore. LeadimagecourtesyofHealthyMattersHK. 37  1   38Shares airpollution SallyHo 2711posts SallyHoisGreenQueen'sresidentwriterandleadreporter.Passionateabouttheenvironment,socialissuesandhealth,sheisalwayslookingintothelatestclimatestoriesinHongKongandbeyond.Along-timevegan,shealsohopestopromotehealthyandplant-basedlifestylechoicesinAsia.SallyhasabackgroundinPoliticsandInternationalRelationsfromherstudiesattheLondonSchoolofEconomicsandPoliticalScience. PrevPost These9SustainableStartupsAreFixingOurFoodSystem NextPost 8Easy,Eco-FriendlySwapsToMakeForTheNewYear Youmightalsolike Health NewStudyShowsDinersAreMoreLikelyToChooseVegetarianFoodFromAMenuWithLessThan25%MeatOptions HongKong NewReportCallsForImmediateActionAsHongKongDrownsInSingle-UsePackagingWaste AltProtein Thailand’sCPFDebutsPlant-BasedHomegrownBrandMeatZeroinHongKong AltProtein HongKong’sDayDayCookLaunchesNewFoodTechAcceleratorProgram Loading... 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