Nowadays, many of the world’s countries are suffering from pollution. There are numerous kinds of pollution all over the world namely noise pollution, air pollution, water pollution and much more. These pollutions are affecting human lives in various parts of the world. I will evaluate air pollution with particular emphasize on prevailing air pollution issue in Hong Kong in this paper. In addition, I will focus on associated health effects and recommendations that need to be implemented to minimize the air pollution issue.
Air pollution occurring due to vehicles and industries is also affecting important layer known as the Ozone layer. This layer protect us from ultraviolet rays radiated from the sun. In Hong Kong, air pollution is considered as the most harmful and dangerous element. Rapid industrialization growth of Hong Kong in past twenty years has given rise to many environmental issues related health. However, pollution remedies could not cope with the growth of the economy, industry and population.
Particulate matter (PM) emitted from industries and vehicles are affecting the human health, visibility, and climate. Different burning sources enriched in toxic chemical are major point sources of these PM. The concentration of PM in Hong Kong depends on season that poses low and high level in summer and colder seasons respectively (Zheng, 2011). In addition, different gases coming out from cars are emitting from chemical resources. These gases are so thick that the element of visibility is limited up to only less than eight kilometers for approximately 30% duration of the year. Due to this air pollution, a huge amount of diseases and the overall number of victims have been increased. The main diseases include Asthma and Bronchial that have been increased with a great quantity. These are badly affecting the lives, health, living style, daily life work, their relations and much more ( Loh,2007).
In addition, most of the power generation industries use coal as a fuel. Coal is enriched with sulfur and emit SO2 while burning process along with other pollutants as particulates, NOX and so forth. The power generation plants are contributing 50% of Hong Kong’s total emissions of mono-nitrogen oxides and particulates as well as 92% of its sulfur dioxide pollution. The most of the local industries are working without installation of equipment required for removal of pipe gas from the coal (Loh, 2007).
Visibility is an important aspect for the human lives. As per reports, low visibility rates were occurred nearly 18% during the year 2004 that was the highest recorded frequency in this area. In the year 1997, the number of days in which the element of visibility was only eight kilometers was limited to only 40 days. This number increased greatly within the year of 2005 scoring up to 102 days. Even currently, different discussions are going on to declare Hong Kong as the darkest area of the world where the light of the sun stays up very less (Lou, 2007).
The rates of pollutant-emitting from vehicles and different industries have been increased due to the use of much more heavy vehicles nowadays. Hong Kong is packed with a great number of roads that remain occupied by huge number of vehicle daily. This is because people of Hong Kong are typical for intensively working for their lives. It creates such a connection between these people and those vehicles that could be easily observed. Doctors have their opinion regarding such gases and their effects on human lives. It introduced many diseases within the population such as asthma, lung infections and increased the cardio-respiratory death by 2 to 3% with an increase of ten micrograms per cubic meter of pollution. These gases are also affecting people or patients that are staying within hospitals and an increase within the amount of deaths are increasing so rapidly (Cheng, 2006).
Proper helpful measurements must be adopted to enhance safety for human lives within Hong Kong. The local industries and vehicles need to use renewable energy sources like solar, biofuel and so forth. This is a prime responsibility of the government to ease the stakeholders for these clean energy sources. Desulfurization of coal should be carried out before burning it in power generation plants. There is urgency to make collaboration with Guangdong Province in order to plan helpful measures to overcome the serious air pollution problem prevailing in Hong Kong. Otherwise, each and every person living there will suffer from a great disease with no cure.
References
Cheng, J. (Dec. 04,2006). Lot of hot air on pollution, Retrieved October 17, 2014 from http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?art_id=33289&con_type=1&sear_year=2006
Loh, C.(2007).Hong Kong: how to breathe easier, Retrieved October 17, 2014 from https://www.chinadialogue.net/article/820-Hong-Kong-how-to-breathe-easier
Lou, Y.(April,02,2007). Blue skies may cost dolphin's dear, Retrieved October 17, 2014 fromhttp://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=13&art_id=41405&sid=12898380&con_type=1&d_str=20070402&sear_year=2007
Zheng, M.(2011).Hong Kong: Particulate air pollution and health impacts, Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences,56-61
