AIR POLLUTION has brought real health hazards to Hong Kong and that is why it has remained at the top of Friends of the Earth (Hong Kong)'s burning environmental issues.
It is little wonder that transport and power plants are the two key sources of air pollution as Hong Kong is such a highly urbanised place.
Vehicle exhaust and emissions from power plants contain a wide range of pollutants such as sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and more importantly, respirable suspended particulates - those tiny particles which are able to reach deep inside the lungs and are most likely to bring adverse health effects.
Tobacco smoke is another source of air pollution. Even if you are not a smoker, your health is still at risk. A burning cigarette is virtually a mobile polluting source releasing toxic chemicals such as nicotine, carbon monoxide and others that can sometimes cause cancer.
These pollutants, in general, are causing a wide spectrum of health impacts ranging from respiratory symptoms (such as coughing and wheezing), lung and heart diseases, to eye irritation and visual impairment. In particular, tobacco smoke can lead to a higher chance of lung cancer and heart disease.
Health is not our only concern. A smoggy sky damages Hong Kong's international image as a world-class city.
