SURVEY ON THE ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT
IN EAST ASIA COUNTRIES/REGIONS
<HongKong>


 

T. Actual State of the Local Atmospheric Environment

(You may not necessarily be requested to fill in all issue but for your interested fields.)

 
 

1. Principal Pollutants --from 1994 Government Figures

a. Sulfur Dioxides (SO2)
 
Concentration & Location 20 - 60?g/m3 ( annual )

50 - 450?g/m3 ( 24 hours max )

140 - 1,700?g/m3 ( 1 hour max )

exceedance of standard at ground-level for daily & hourly 

max

Source unknown / may be industry (declining)
Environmental Standard 800?g/m3 (1 hour), 350?g/m3 ( 24 hours) , 

80?g/m3 (year)

b. Nitrogen Dioxide(NO2)
 
Concentration & Location 20-70?g/m3 (annual)

100-170?g/m3 (24 hours max)

200-320?g/m3 (1 hour max)

exceedance of standard at ground-level for daily & hourly

max

Source vehicle
Environmental Standard 300?g/m3 (1hour) , 150?g/m3 (24 hours) ,

80?g/m3 (year) 

c. Dust Fall:(TSP & RSP)
 
Concentration & Location TSP: 70-150?g/m3 (annual)

150-300?g/m3(24 hours max)

exceedance of standard in numerous location 

RSP: 50-70?g/m3 (annual)

100-140?g/m3 (24 hours max)

Source counstruction, vehicle
Environmental Standard TSP: 260 ?g/m3 (24 hours), 80 ?g/m3 (year)

RSP: 180 ?g/m3 (24 hours), 55 ?g/m3(year)

d. Suspended Particulate Materials(SPM):
 
Concentration & Location 50-70 ?g/m3 , 100-140 ?g/m3
Source construction, vehicle
Environmental Standard 180 ?g/m3(24 hours), 55 ?g/m3(year)

e. Hydrocarbons (H/C):
 
Concentration & Location no data
Source vehicle, industry(?)
Environmental Standard no standard

f. Photochemical Oxidants (Ox):
 
Concentration & Location 25 ?g/m3(annual)

80-100 ?g/m3(24 hours max)

200-250 ?g/m3 (1 hour max)

Source industry
Environmental Standard 240 ?g/m3 (1 hour max)
 

g. Others (specify): lead
 
Concentration & Location no data
Source vehicle
Environmental Standard 1.5 ?g/m3 (3 months)
 
 

2. Impact of Air Pollution on:

 
Human Health respiratory problem: survey of children in 1980?s indicates

that those in industrial district is 1.5 times more likely to 

develop respiratory disease when compared to those in non-

industrial district. 

Ecology many urban trees and vegetation suffer from vehicle emission 

and high cost of replacing these plants.

Economic Activities agriculture is not a main industry in HK.

and acid rain is not very serious ( typical pH of rain water is 

4.6-5.4)

 
 

3. Measures by:

Government (1) restrict sulfur content in fuel to less than 0.5% in 1990 and planned 

to reduce it to 0.05% in 1998.

(2) encourage the use of unlead petrol in 1991 by tax difference

(3) all new vehicles imported defined to have catalype corn enter 

installed

(4) planned to introduce a switch from diesel to petrol for light vehicle

(5) energy efficiency unit and committe set up in 1993 and 1995 respectively. 

Business  
Academic study on energy use and environmental impacts.

(HKU project completed in 1996)

People Clear Uinitiated by Conservancy Association.

Clear Air Campaign initiated by Friends of the Earth

 
 

U. Transboundary Air Pollution

 
Feature Pollutants Location

& Source

Impact on Human & Ecology
Winter: 

From Southern China to H.K.

Summer:

From H.K. to Sourthern China

 

SO2

Power Plants 

in H.K. &

China

Respiratory 

diseases

Heavy traffic between China

and H.K.

NOx Vehicle  
Cause of misty weather TSP Construction 

due to 

infrastructure 

development 

 
 
 

V. Greenhouse Gas (GHG) and Climate Change

 

1. Inventory and prediction of GHG emission:

[However this chapter should be inspected for Annex T parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change intensively, information for developing countries must be useful to establish policy to cope with climate change.]

(unit: tonnage/year)
 


GHGs

 

Basic Year

1990

Prediction in Business-as-Usual(BaU)

2000 Later(specify:2020)

CO2(total) 14,000,000 20,000,000 36,020,000
(Industry) 2,386,000 1,349,000 852,000
(Transport:Road) 3,000,000 6,000,000 10,000,000
(Energy) 7,000,000 9,000,000 20,000,000
(Others) 2,000,000 3,500,000 5,000,000
CFCs      
CH4      
N2O      
 
 

2. Measures and Strategy to Reduce GHG Emission by the Government:

-An inventory of GHG emission was developed in 1993 and Conservancy Assn. is trying to get hold of a copy

-No specific actions taken by Gov. so far.

- Energy Efficiency Committee set up in 1993 and Energy Efficiency Unit set up in 1994 within Gov. to encourage energy efficient practices - indirect means of reducing CO2 emission by reducing energy comsumption.
 

3. Expected impact of climate change on your country and people?s livelihoods:

 
Temperature not known 
Precipitation &

Floods

not known
Drought &

Desertification

probably no impact
Sea Level?s Rise

& Coastal Area

not known
Ecosystem(land) not known
Ecosystem

(aquatic)

not known
Diseases & Pests not known 
Others
 
 

4. People's proposals and movements:

Clear U: propose to open dialogue among various sectors to implement

programmes / take actions to deal with air pollution problem both

locally ( in Hong Kong) and if possible in the region(eg. Southern

China)
 
 

5. Other (Please describe freely.)