Library
GENERAL
HEALTH
ADULT
WHO Air Quality Guidelines for particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide – Global update 2005 – Summary of risk assessment
A report on how the poor in Hong Kong are disproportionately affected by air pollution
The five studies in this report provide a relatively consistent, if limited, picture of the acute mortality impact of current ambient particulate air pollution in several large metropolitan areas in East and Southeast Asia.
The Hong Kong portion of the study was based on a longitudinal study conducted by CM Wong of HKU, studying subjects from 1996-2002. A combined analysis of all cities shows that the effects of mortality on the uneducated were twice as much (with the exception of O3), and the excess mortality resulting from 10 micrograms more of PM10 was 0.6%.
In this research report, the authors have estimated that nearly 10,000 deaths have occurred due to air pollution in 2006 in the Southern China region, with the majority (94%) occurring in the Pearl River Delta. Air pollution is responsible for some 440,000 annual hospital bed-days and 11 million outpatient visits annually throughout the region. The authors suggest that a long-term air quality management framework and a commitment to reducing air pollution expediently are solutions.
This report describes the development of a model for estimating the health burden due to air pollution in Pearl River Delta by incorporating health effect estimates (i.e. the excess risks) from daily time-series studies of air pollution and estimating the avoidable impact of air pollution (in terms of health care utilization, deaths and the community costs) for exceedances of the WHO guideline values and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards. The aims of the project are to estimate the direct and indirect costs of health care utilization due to air pollution attributable diseases in the Pearl River Delta including Macau and Hong Kong, and to compare the health care costs between the Pearl River Delta, Macau and Hong Kong.
CHILD
An interview with Dr. Yu Chak Man on air pollution and child health
An interview with Professor Hedley on how air pollution impacts children’s health
Professor Anthony Hedley’s paper to LegCo discussing child health and environmental safety
ELDERLY
POLLUTION SOURCES
This report looks at two traditional approaches – one based on total emissions in terms of tonnage and another based on receptor source apportionment in terms of mass concentration. It then introduces a new approach, which gives a time-based perspective. It answers the question of how many days in a year Hong Kong’s air quality is affected by regional and local emissions respectively.
Why the buses on Hong Kong’s roads are a major threat to public health
A breakdown of Hong Kong’s Commercial Diesel Vehicles contribution to roadside pollution
HKUST STUDY
Mobile Real-time Air Monitoring Platform (MAP) is a research project developed by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) to interface air pollutant measurements with meteorological and GPS data, as it happens. It makes real time measurements recording pollutant data in areas accessible by roads, such as schools and commercial and residential areas. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), ozone (O3) and carbon monoxide (COx) were measured in all 18 districts in Hong Kong and comparisons of air quality levels were made in accordance to standards set by Environmental Protection Department and the World Health Organization (WHO). Findings showed that Hong Kong’s legal standard permits 2-3 times more air pollutants than the WHO’s guidelines, meaning that some of the pollution levels permitted in Hong Kong actually exceed recommended safe standards. Among the 18 districts, Wanchai is found to the most polluted one due to the combined factors of high traffic flow and the canyon effect incurred by the surrounding skyscrapers.
The pollution data from the MAP project sheds light and gives insights towards what policies should be crafted. For instance, traffic control (e.g. bus stops, traffic lights) have significant impact on local air quality. Careful urban planning, including building location, traffic and open space provisions, are essential in improving air quality in a specific locality. Shipping emissions contribute significantly to SO2 concentrations in residential districts such as Kwai Tsing. The Environmental Protection Deparment’s proposed “Low Emission Zones”, as they are currently designed, do not properly cover all of Hong Kong’s most polluted areas and fail to protect vulnerable populations such as schools and hospitals.
HKUST study results press release
POLICY: AIR QUALITY OBJECTIVES REVIEW AND GENERAL
Special LegCo Session of 6 October 2009, regarding the EPD’s AQO proposal
POLICY: REPLACEMENT OF OLDEST FRANCHISED BUSES
This policy paper prepared by Civic Exchange urges the HKSAR Government to tell the public that the cost of upgrading Hong Kong’s old and highly polluting franchised bus can be shared among the bus operators, the public purse and bus riders. Civic Exchange believes that the government has wrongly given the public the impression that bus riders must bear the entire cost of upgrading the fleet.
A bus subsidy proposal
A scrapping incentive for commercial diesel vehicles (non franchised buses) proposal
A breakdown of vehicular emissions on the roadside
POLICY: REPLACEMENT OF OLDEST, MOST POLLUTING TRUCKS
Breakdown of the contribution of trucks to roadside pollution and proposals for solutions to get the oldest, most polluting trucks off Hong Kong’s roads
POLICY: IDLING
Letter from Medical Associations to the Hong Kong government
Driver health research sent to EPD
Summary of views expressed by various legislators during the Bills Committee meeting for the Idling Bill on July 8, 2010
CAN CEO Joanne Oois’s op-ed in SCMP
POLICY: BUS ROUTE RATIONALIZATION
POLICY: NON-ROAD MOBILE SOURCES
MARINE POLLUTION
This report outlines the threats to public health caused by rising toxic emissions from the rapid growth of marine related activities in Hong Kong and Shenzhen. It also identifies a number of short medium and long-term solutions for tackling the problems, and calls on the Hong Kong SAR and Shenzhen Governments to develop a strategy to reduce the threats based on best practices from around the world.
This paper focuses on marine emissions in the region and on what can be done to ensure that they are operated cleanly to prevent being overwhelmed by polluting activities, given that this is one of the world’s most prominent manufacturing and logistics sectors.
ENERGY GENERATION & FUEL MIX
Commentary on the memorandum of understanding between the National Energy Administration and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government on the supply of natural gas and electricity to Hong Kong
Report about mainland gas for Hong Kong: uncertainties over supply, price, and emission impacts.
PUBLIC OPINION SURVEYS
2008 public opinion survey on Hong Kong People’s attitudes toward air pollution, environment and public health
2010 public opinion survey on Hong Kong People’s attitudes toward air pollution, environment and public health
Results show that Singapore beats Hong Kong as Asia’s most livable city
percentage of population satisfied or dissatisfied with their countries’ air quality for 153 countries
the number of adults who would like to move permanently out of a country subtracted from the estimated number who would like to move into it, as a proportion of the total adult population.
Survey done by the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) asking interviewees to rate Hong Kong’s air quality
OP-ED ARTICLES BY CLEAN AIR NETWORK
Christine Loh
- o “Breathing space” (2010)
o “ A bit hazy” (2010)
o “Seen to be Green” (2010)
o “Exhausting work” (2010)
o “Love it or leave it” (2009)
o “On your bike” (2009)
o “Natural Partnership” (2009)
o “A different route” (2009)
o “Toxic Mix” (2009)
o “Value for money” (2009)
o “A wrong turn” (2009)
o “Fresh thoughts” (2009)
o “Breathless in the city” (2009)
Joanne Ooi
- o “A subsidy to drive off old, polluting vehicles” (2010)
o “Idling while air pollution goes through the roof” (2010)
Marcus Shaw
- o “HK’s disconnect in health and air policy” (2010)
VIDEOS
An official video by the HKSAR’s Environmental Protection Department
CAN’s first animated video
A short film project with Hong Kong secondary school kids
An interview with Professor Anthony Hedley on how air pollution impacts children’s health
CAN’s second public service announcement
The action to hand in the Petition for Clean Air to the Environmental Protection Department
MEDIA COVERAGE
Article about origins of Clean Air Network
Article on why 2010 is the time to get aggressive about air pollution
Article about Consumer Petition Sign-up Campaign
Article about Consumer Petition Sign-up Campaign
Article about business leaders calling for cleaner air
Article about Idling Engine Bill
Article about Daniel Wu for “Fresh Air” Infomercial
Article about Daniel Wu for “Fresh Air” Infomercial
Article about Daniel Wu for “Fresh Air” Infomercial
