"Air Quality in Hong Kong 2013" report released today
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     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (October 31) released the "Air Quality in Hong Kong 2013" report.

     The report summarises air quality data collected in 2013 by the EPD's monitoring network, which comprises 11 general and three roadside air monitoring stations. The network monitors various air pollutants, namely sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), total suspended particulates (TSP), respirable suspended particulates (RSP or PM10), fine suspended particulates (FSP or PM2.5), lead and toxic air pollutants.

     A spokesman for the EPD said the monitoring results show a general improvement of air quality in Hong Kong over the years. A reduction in the ambient levels of NOx, SO2 and RSP in recent years has been attributed to joint control efforts by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and the Guangdong Provincial Government to cut emissions in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region.

     "However, concentrations of ozone, a major constituent of photochemical smog, were on a slow rising trend. The governments of the two places will continue to implement control measures to alleviate photochemical smog and ozone problems in the PRD region," the spokesman said.

     As a result of the enhanced vehicle emissions control programme implemented by the HKSAR Government since 2000, roadside concentrations of NOx, RSP and SO2 have been reduced substantially over the past decade. The increasing trend of roadside NO2 in the past years has by and large stabilised, though its concentration remained high over the period. Targeted control measures are being introduced to reduce its concentration.

     The report also shows that, as in previous years, the concentrations of carbon monoxide and lead in 2013 remained at levels well below their respective Air Quality Objective limits. According to the monitoring data, toxic air pollutants in Hong Kong are at very low levels and comparable to those observed in other major cities.

     The spokesman stressed that Hong Kong's air quality policies are premised on the protection of public health and the Government is committed to improving air quality. The Environment Bureau released "A Clean Air Plan for Hong Kong" in March 2013, which outlines comprehensively the challenges Hong Kong is facing with regard to air quality as well as the relevant policies, measures and plans to tackle the problem. The Plan also gives a detailed account of improvement measures undertaken to tackle air pollution from land and sea transport, power plants and non-road mobile machinery and seeks to further strengthen collaboration between Guangdong and Hong Kong to deal with regional pollution.

     The "Air Quality in Hong Kong 2013" report is available at www.aqhi.gov.hk/api_history/english/report/files/AQR2013e_final.pdf.

Ends/Friday, October 31, 2014
Issued at HKT 17:23

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