7B
Mak Chung Yin, Danny (16)
Si Hoi Man, Gloria (18)
Wong Chung Sze, Bobo (22)
Wu Yu Si, Rain (26)
Yeung Lik Yan, Teresa (28)
A. Types of Air Pollution in Hong Kong
• local pollution (caused by vehicles and power
plants) (including roadside pollution)
• regional air pollution
B. Distribution of areas of poor air
quality in HK
• -Mong Kok,
Causeway Bay,
Central
(districts with
heavy traffic)
•
Maximum Annual Pollutant
Concentrations and Objectives
in 2008
C. Evidence to show the deterioration
of air quality in HK urban areas
• Air Pollution Index is used as in indicator to
pollution levels, both "General" and
"Roadside"
• API hit a high level of 149 in some area near
the finish line—a level at which those with
cardiac or respiratory problems are advised to
reduce physical exertion.
• Causing damage to Hong Kong residents' lungs
C. Evidence to show the deterioration
of air quality in HK urban areas
• The city is frequently cloaked in a noxious
smog
• Rarely see a picturesque skyline
• According to research at the University of
Hong Kong, the air in Hong Kong contains
almost three times more soot and other
pollutants than New York's and more than
twice of that in London
D. Major causes of deteriorating air
quality
• Two air pollution issues
• local street-level pollution ( Diesel vehicles are
the main source)
• the regional smog problem(caused by a
combination of pollutants from motor vehicles,
industry and power plants both in Hong Kong
and in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region)
Local pollution
• I) Local Industry – (stationary Pollution)
• -Largest emission source within Hong Kong,
accounting for 92% of the total emission of
SO2, and half of that of NOx and RSP
Local pollution
• II) Roadside pollution (Mobile Pollution)
1. High road traffic density
• Motor vehicles, especially diesel vehicles, are the main
causes of high concentrations of respirable suspended
particulates (RSPs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) at street level
in Hong Kong
• The road traffic density of Hong Kong is among the highest
in the world. There are about 530 000 vehicles in Hong
Kong but the total road length is about only 1 900 km, i.e.
there are 275 vehicles per kilometer in average.
• about one-fourth of these vehicles use diesel fuel, which is
relatively more polluting, and they contribute to about half
of the vehicle mileage in Hong Kong.
Local pollution
Roadside pollution (Mobile Pollution)
2. Canyon effect
• The narrow streets, ringed by high density of tall
buildings, create a "canyon effect" that traps pollutants
along roads
• pollutants cannot be dispersed effectively on the
streets
• large quantities of respirable suspended particulates
(RSP) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) accumulate at
roadside
Regional pollution
• Air pollution floats across the border from the
mainland factories, power plants and
highways of Guangdong province, where
environmental regulations and enforcement
are more lax
1. Industrial and commercial
activities in PRD
• Just 12% of the coal plants in Guangdong have emissionscontrol technologies
• Due to chronic power shortages, up to 90% of manufacturing
plants in the region use backup-electricity generators, which
are usually more polluting than grid power
• Under sunlight, these pollutants generated by these activities
undergo photochemical reactions to form ozone and smog.
• The regional smog problem is especially serious when weak
northerly wind prevails in the South China area or when the
region is under the influence of subsiding air at the periphery
of a typhoon because the ambient air pollutants in the PRD
region cannot be dispersed effectively under such conditions.
2. Vehicular emissions in
Mainland
• With the economic development in
Guangdong and the increasing affluence of
the people, the number of vehicles has risen
two-fold from 1.15 million in 1995 to 2.31
million in 2002.
• Since Euro II emission standards has just been
introduced in the Mainland, the regional
pollution problem as caused by vehicular
emissions has substantially aggravated.
E. Adverse socio-economic
impacts of air pollution
1. Health problem
• raise the risk of pulmonary(related with the lungs) and heart
disease
• The Hong Kong Medical Association estimates that air
pollution can exacerbate asthma, impair lung function and
raise the risk of cardio-respiratory death by 2 to 3 percent for
every increase of 10 micrograms per cubic metre of pollutants
• Around 1,100 people die and more than 7 million people are
sickened every year because of air pollution, according to
Hong Kong University research
• roadside pollution levels are responsible for 90,000 hospital
admissions and 2,800 premature deaths every year.
E. Adverse socio-economic
impacts of air pollution
2. High Medical costs & lower productivity
• - in 2000, the total negative impact to the Hong Kong
Economy, including cardiorespiratory disease was in
excess of HK$11.1 billion
• The city's business community loses more than $90
million a year in medical costs and lost productivity
due to pollution (Because admission to hospital and
premature death have effects on productivity)
E. Adverse socio-economic
impacts of air pollution
3. Reduce Visibility
• Declining regional air quality means visibility has also decreased
dramatically. In 2004, low visibility occurred 18% of the time – the highest
on record, according to the Hong Kong Observatory.
• The number of days in which visibility was less than eight kilometers rose
to 102 in 2005 from 40 in 1997.
Figure 1: Air Pollutants Emitted in Hong Kong and Reduced Visibility Trend
E. Adverse socio-economic
impacts of air pollution
4. Acid rain
• - Acid rain is caused by emissions of
compounds of carbon, nitrogen, and sulphur
(contained in pollutant)which react with the
water molecules in the atmosphere to
produce acids.
• -harmful effects on plants, aquatic animals,
and infrastructure
E. Adverse socio-economic
impacts of air pollution
5. Affect Hong Kong’s image and competiveness
• - the air quality in Hong Kong is now regularly
so poor that reduces long term
competitiveness
• -affect property market and tourism
• -investors or tourists go to places where the
environment is more pleasant with better air
quality e.g. Singapore
F. Possible solutions to improve air
quality
A. Reduce Local Emissions from vehicles (comprehensive motor vehicle emission
control programme)
1.control emissions by vehicles by encouraging people to use cleaner fuel
e.g.
• -launch new incentive scheme to encourage early replacement od old diesel
commercial vehicles, replacing diesel taxis and light buses with liquefied
petroleum gas (LPG) vehicles
• - Wider use of hybrid / electric vehicles or other environment-friendly vehicles
• -Encourage the usage of Environmental Friendly Cars by Offering tax concessions
which is a 30% reduction in the First Registration Tax
2.introducing Euro III emission standards
3.Set up Low Emission Zones
• A low emission zone (LEZ) is a traffic management measure aiming at reducing
road transport emissions over a defined geographic area, by restricting certain
vehicle types, ages or technologies from entering the zone.
F. Possible solutions to improve air
quality
5. Car-free zone / pedestrianisation scheme
• -In a car-free zone or pedestrisation scheme, automobile is prohibited.
Since 2000, the Transport Department (TD) has started to implement
some pedestrian schemes in several areas, including Causeway Bay,
Central, Wan Chai, Mong Kok, Tsim Sha Tsui, Jordan, Sham Shui Po, Stanley
and Shek Wu Hui. Extending the present restriction to all time all type of
vehicles in pedestrian streets and traffic calming streets in busy districts,
such as Mongkok, Causeway Bay and Central will be helpful in further
reducing the roadside exposures by the public. The following figures show
the extension of the car free zones for Central, Mongkok and Causeway
Bay.
6. Cycling network to major public transport hubs
• Cycling does not emit air pollutant emissions. Encourage using bicycles to
replace short vehicle trips and city driving will help reduce emissions
B. Reduce Local Emissions from
power plants / factories
• Impose an energy tax during periods of peak
power use
• ask electricity producers to use only clean coal
or low-polluting natural gas
• relocating the industries to remote area
• carry out policies to restrict people to use
environmental-friendly machines
C. Reduce Regional Pollution--Cooperation between
Hong Kong and the nearby cities (e.g. Shenzhen and
Dongguan)
1. Cross-boundary cooperation in environmental protection is necessary
• Pearl River Delta Regional Air Quality Monitoring Network in 2005,
including 16 automatic air quality monitoring stations in the Delta.
• two governments have worked individually various measures, including
• Hong Kong
– Vehicle emission control, including encouragement to use pollution control devices on
private vehicles and the conversion of mini-buses to liquefied petroleum gas instead of
diesel fuel.
– Power station emission control, including the use of air-scrubbing equipment and
placing emission limits on individual stations.
Reduce Regional Pollution--Cooperation
between Hong Kong and the nearby cities (e.g.
Shenzhen and Dongguan)
• Guangdong
– Vehicle emission control, including further tightening
motor vehicle emissions and fuel standards, and
recovering vapour from oil depots, tanker trucks and petrol
filling stations.
– Other emission control, including improving energy supply
structure, installing flue gas desulphurisation systems in
thermal power plants, and stepping up control of
emissions from industrial sources.
Reduce Regional Pollution--Cooperation
between Hong Kong and the nearby cities (e.g.
Shenzhen and Dongguan)
• the HKSAR Government has been collaborating with
the Economic and Information Commission of
Guangdong Province on promoting energy efficiency
and cleaner production to the industrial enterprises
in both places.
• both sides jointly launched the Hong KongGuangdong Cleaner Production Partners Recognition
Scheme in August 2009 to recognize and encourage
the continued efforts of Hong Kong businesses in
pursuing cleaner production
2. Signing of agreements
i the Environmental Co-operation Agreement at the Hong Kong
- Guangdong Co-operation Joint Conference on August 19
• Both sides agreed to, inter alia, undertake a joint study
on the post-2010 air emission reduction arrangements for
the region and will strive to complete the study in 2010.
ii the Clean Air Charter
• ask companies to sign the Clean Air Charter, which pledged
them to meet strict environmental standards, publish
emissions data and boost energy efficiency at factories in
Hong Kong and Guangdong.
• 205 companies and business associations have signed the
charter,
Signing of agreements
iii Cooperation Agreement to Promote Energy Efficiency,
Cleaner Production and Comprehensive Utilisation of
Resources to Enterprises in Hong Kong and Guangdong
• -- jointly conducted a series of promotion activities, technical
exchanges and demonstration projects on cleaner production
by industrial enterprises,
• -a five-year “Cleaner Production Partnership Programme” in
April 2008 to encourage Hong Kong-owned factories
operating in the PRD region to adopt cleaner production
technologies and practices, with a view to reducing emissions
and enhancing energy efficiency
3. Increase Energy efficiency
• -improve the city's inefficient energy use-- by turning
down office air-conditioning, encourage using more
public transport
• - implement Energy efficiency standards for domestic
electrical appliances
• the Government has introduced a mandatory Energy
Efficiency Labelling Scheme (EELS)
• all prescribed products are also required to be
supplied with energy labels to help consumers in
choosing energy efficient products
D. Tree planting/ roof-top
greening
• A green roof is a roof of a building that is
partially or completely covered with
vegetation and soil
• reducing heat gain from roof
• alleviate urban heat island effect which would
accelerate the chemical reactions for pollution
formation and air pollutant recirculation.