For immediate release 5 August 1997
UST Profiles Sources of Hong
Kong's Air Pollutants
An analysis by scientists at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology has identified the major sources of aerosols (atmospheric particles) in Hong Kong's air and their chemical compositions. This is the first set of source profiles to use a new, more accurate analysis to pave the way for better control of air quality. The data will also be useful for planning urban development.
Dr C K Chan of HKUST's Department of Chemical Engineering collaborated with the University of Helsinki, Finland to analyze pollution data collected by the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department.
Using a new method developed in Helsinki, Dr Chan identified different sources of aerosols, such as marine sources, vehicle
emissions, burning of fuel oil and soil dust. Dr Chan has compiled a profile of each source, listing the type and quantities of elements. For example, aerosols produced by the burning of fuel oil contain high levels of vanadium and nickel.
In his study, Dr Chan also identified source profiles at different sampling sites and seasonal changes of the sources.
This study is funded by the Environmental and Conservation Fund and the Research Grant Council.
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