Air pollution comparisons
l About 3 people a day die because of Hong Kong’s air pollution.
l Hong Kong’s air is 3 times more polluted than New York’s.
l Hong Kong’s air is more than twice as polluted as London’s.
l We CAN do something about our air pollution: for 192 days a year, the majority of Hong Kong’s air pollution comes from Hong Kong itself, not China. (2007)
l In 2006, Hong Kong had just 41 days of healthy, breathable air,
l Hong Kong had just 30 days when it was safe to do sports outdoors in 2006.
l In 2009, air pollution killed 845 people. (In 2003, SARs killed “only” 299 people.)
l In 2010, Hong Kong had the worst roadside pollution in its history.
l Despite some improvement in general ambient air pollution in past years, roadside pollution continues to worsen at an alarming rate.
Sources of air pollution
l Trucks and buses are the most polluting vehicles on our roads.
l 80 to 90% of roadside pollution comes from trucks and buses.
l 40% of roadside pollution comes from buses. (2009)
l The oldest diesel engines are 35 times dirtier than the newest, cleanest engines.
l 75% of buses are old and dirty (Euro II standard and below).
l 11 of Hong Kong’s 14 air quality stations are not located by the roadside and therefore, are not monitoring the air we directly breathe.
l Ship emissions result in 400 more children (8-12 yrs) in Kwai Chung having respiratory problems, compared to less polluted areas.
Air pollution policy
l Hong Kong’s air quality standards permit 2 to 4 times more air pollutants than recommended by the World Health Organization.
l The Government has not revised Hong Kong’s air quality standards, called Air Quality Objectives (AQOs), in more than 20 years, meaning they are based on very outdated medical research.
l Since Hong Kong’s Air Pollution Index (API) is based on outdated air quality standards, it does not adequately protect the public’s health.
l There is no existing plan to retire the 40,000 old and polluting diesel vehicles still running on our roads.
l The Department of Health is not officially involved in air quality policy even though air pollution is Hong Kong’s biggest public health crisis.
Air pollution brain drain (Civic Exchange study 2010)
l 1 in 4 residents is considering leaving Hong Kong because of air pollution.
l The best and brightest are the most likely to consider leaving the city because of air pollution.
l 52% of post-graduate degree holders are considering leaving the city because of air pollution.
l 37% of university graduates are considering leaving the city because of air pollution.
l 42% of managers are considering leaving the city because of air pollution.
l 38% of professionals are considering leaving the city because of air pollution.
l According to a 2010 Civic Exchange study, Hong Kong’s poor are just as willing to pay for air clean-up as the rich.
l 61% percent of professional drivers are concerned about the impacts of diesel fumes on their health.
Health impacts of air pollution
l 20,000 people a day visit the doctor because of air pollution in Hong Kong.
l Living in a polluted area can shorten your life by 2 or 3 years, compared to someone living in a cleaner environment.
l Chronic stress increases susceptibility to the health effects of air pollution.
l Fine particulate matter, once inhaled, can reach the deepest regions of the lungs, leading to an increased risk of developing lung cancer.
l Air pollution increases the stickiness of blood, increasing the risk of clotting and stroke.
l 2 hours of exposure to high roadside pollution causes an increase in heart rate, upping the risk of having a heart attack.
l Exposure to particulate matter alters the electrical impulses in the heart, which can cause arrhythmia, even in a normal healthy person.
l Living within 100 meters of a busy road leads to artery walls thickening, which can double the risk of heart disease and stroke.
l Air pollution affects the functioning of the autonomic nervous system, resulting in blood vessels' diminished responsiveness to the need to constrict or dilate.
l Air pollution increases susceptibility to microbes (the flu, colds, and infections).
l Exposure to air pollution within 300 to 500 meters from highways and major roads exacerbates, and can even cause, asthma.
l Air pollution reduces the effectiveness of asthma inhalers by about 15%.
l Children exposed to air pollution can suffer permanent lung damage, leading to a lifetime of impaired health.
l Children living within 100 meters of a main road have a 65% increased risk of contracting pneumonia.
l According to a study by CUHK, in children, the benefits of outdoor exercise are nullified by air pollution.
l Pregnant mothers who are exposed to air pollution have an increased risk of having babies with low birth weight.
l Pregnant mothers exposed to high levels of roadside pollution have been shown to have kids with lower IQs.
l Air pollution is linked with increased risk of pre-term birth.
l An elderly person exposed to air pollution for 12 months has double the risk of developing pneumonia.