Tear gas fired at Hong Kong protests has not affected water and air quality, says health minister responding to exposure fears
- Sophia Chan says ‘no irregularities’ in environmental indexes after about 5,000 canisters fired in the city since June
- City professors warn chemical agent can linger for long periods, criticise ‘absence’ of government monitoring, decontamination and advice
Water and air quality in Hong Kong have not been affected by the firing of tear gas at protests that have plagued the city for nearly five months, a government minister has said amid growing concern over its health impact.
Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee sought to allay fears after local medical professors warned in The Lancet that deployment of tear gas in subtropical environments such as Hong Kong could expose people to high concentrations of chemical irritants over a prolonged period.
The professors also raised concerns in the leading medical journal of what they believed was the absence of government-led decontamination, and urged the administration to invest in health surveillance and long-term environmental monitoring.
On a radio programme on Tuesday morning, Chan said the government had not found any problems with the city’s air and water quality.