Air pollution in Central and Causeway Bay exceeds WHO levels 280 days in a year
The air quality study measured matter known as PM2.5 in the air on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island by installing a monitoring unit on a tram for a period of one year.
Air pollution levels in Central and Causeway Bay violated global health and safety standards for almost 280 days in the past year, with Des Voeux Road and Hennessy Road experiencing the worst levels of fine particulate matter on Hong Kong Island, a new study has found.
The air quality study measured matter known as PM2.5 in the air on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island by installing a monitoring unit on a tram for a period of one year.
Even in Eastern District, where there was less traffic, PM2.5 levels exceeded the international standard for more than 80 days in a year, the study found.
The fine particles, which measure less than 2.5 micrometres, can cause serious health problems by entering the lungs.
"The overall picture is worse than we thought," said Simon Ng Ka-wing, chief research officer of Civic Exchange, a think tank that worked with the University of Science and Technology on the research. "Our government must make it a policy priority to improve roadside air quality in major urban street canyons."
Ng warned that hundreds of thousands of people were being exposed to roadside pollution every day, citing a recent University of Hong Kong study that confirmed PM2.5 led to a higher death rate among elderly people by increasing their risk of developing cardiovascular problems.
Under World Health Organisation daily air quality guidelines, PM2.5 should not exceed 25 micrograms per cubic metre.