For release 23 August 1996
HKUST STUDY OF AIR QUALITY IN HONG KONG
Air quality over the eastern and southern parts of Hong Kong is better than in the west and north, according to a team of researchers at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. This pattern is primarily due to the prevailing winds and air flow.
Since 1993, researchers from the University’s Research Centre, Department of Chemistry, and Safety and Environmental Protection Office have investigated air uality in Hong Kong through various means, including atmospheric studies and a
c emical analysis.
In November 1994, airborne measurements were taken of air pollutants 60 to 600 m above the ground. This showed that wind flow reversals above Hong Kong impede the dispersion of air pollutants--one of the reasons for heavy air pollution levels.
Vehicle emissions are the largest contributors of man-made pollutants, accounting for up to 65% of the aerosols or airborne particles clogging the air. According to Hong Kong Government statistics, each year over 400,000 licensed vehicles in Hong Kong discharge nearly 6,000 tons of particulates into the atmosphere, while only 400 tons come from industrial sources.
Most air samples have been found to contain consistently high levels of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), known to be the largest class of chemical carcinogens. Mong Kok shows the highest levels of all samples.
“Since aerosol levels are a direct consequence of energy use, it can be expected that air quality in the region will be degraded significantly with continued economic growth in Hong Kong and the rapid pace of industrialization in the Pearl River Delta,” says Dr Ming Fang of the Research Centre in the project’s final report.
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