With cleaner air, 3,500 deaths can be prevented in Hong Kong every year.

Thanks to the enthusiastic participation of various sectors, Hong Kong’s first Clean Air Day successfully brought the awareness of air pollution in society to a peak!

Building on this year’s achievements, we look forward to organising more Clean Air Days to extend our influence, further raising awareness of the harmful effects of air pollution on our physical and mental health, connecting and collaborating with more sectors, creating greater momentum for a clean air future for Hong Kong.

It should also be noted that every day, in fact, can be a Clean Air Day – we hope that the public’s concern will not be limited to this single day, but will be integrated into their daily lives by making low-pollution choices and encouraging others to come together to safeguard everyone’s right to clean air.

To realise our shared visions, Clean Air Day needs your support. If tackling air pollution aligns with your mission and you are passionate about improving public health and safeguarding our planet, we invite you to reach out to us at : info@hongkongcan.org.

Thank you again for supporting, see you next year!

To learn more about the achievements of Clean Air Day 2023, check out the Impact Report:

Thank you to our guests and over 100 participants for supporting Hong Kong’s first Clean Air Day on 4 Nov at Tuen Mun H.A.N.D.S.!

At the officiating ceremony, we were honoured to have Dr. Kenneth Leung, Principal Assistant Secretary for Environment and Ecology (Air Policy), to give a keynote speech on the progress of clean air in Hong Kong. Representatives from the medical sector, education sector, and patient concern groups also shared their inspiring views on combating air pollution.

At the popular Green Exhibition, we celebrated the achievements of the series of clean air events in October, introduced air pollution issues to the public through fun games created by primary and secondary school students. Students participated in the Cube Challenge showcased their winning designs aimed at improving air quality on campus.

Over 60 families took part in the Clean Air Games, where children and parents went all out in the sports competitions, building up healthier bodies to breathe in better air!

We were also happy to witness guests and participants making the Clean Air Pledge, vowing to take actions in their daily lives to clean up Hong Kong’s air. Let’s be a part of the change!

At Clean Air Day, we celebrate our collective commitment to a clean air future for Hong Kong. Thank you for your support and see you again next year!

The last Road to Clean Air Day event, “Symphony of air quality: Tuen Mun Community Run”, was held on 27 October. Led by a coach from Pegasus Athletics Club, participants ran between Butterfly Beach and “Beyond the Dream Bridge”, covering a total distance of 5 kilometres, where they could listen to the sea breeze and reflect on the connections between air and sports.

Breathing has a direct impact on athletic performance. A study has found that air quality is related to noise levels in urban settings – the noisier the area, the more polluted the air. Therefore, choosing to exercise in a quieter location far away from roads, such as the running route of this event, can reduce exposure to pollutants.

The event also collaborated with FOODSPORT to donate food equivalent to the calories burned by the participants to the FOODSPORT Foundation, St. James’ Settlement and FOOD-CO, contributing to the building of a healthy society.

Regular runners Catherine and Wai said that before joining the event, they thought air pollution only affects the elderly or people with respiratory diseases. They learnt about the relationship between air and sports during the event and realised the huge influence of air quality on us. They believe the government should raise public awareness, for example, by installing air quality monitoring devices at parks or running trails to display real-time data.

(Left to right) Wai and Catherine

On 14 and 21 October, we collaborated with Kaifing Tour to hold walk tours in Sham Shui Po and Tuen Mun respectively.

Participants learned about the local histories, while opening up their sense of smell to savour the changes in the air along the way and observe the connections between various sources of air pollution and community activities.

The tour, entitled “Discovering clean breaths”, ended with a breathing exercise, in which the participants, led by an instructor, took a slow and mindful walk in the quiet Garden Hill and Tuen Mun Park, focusing on each and every breath, contemplating on the importance of “breathe right”.

Tsz Kwan, a participant of the Sham Shui Po tour, said that the tour gave participants a new perspective on air issues. She was most impressed by the visit to Sham Shui Po Fabric Market, where she discovered that fabrics emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that pollute the air, and the discussion at the Pei Ho Street Cooked Food Centre on how different cooking methods impact air quality differently.

Zanna, who joined the Tuen Mun tour, appreciates the tour for connecting the community with the environment, enhancing her knowledge about air issues. She also reflected on how air quality, which is essential to our existence by constantly being overlooked, could be improved in an urban environment. 

Thank you for supporting the Road to Clean Air Day event Clean Air Movie Screening: “2040” on 13 Oct!

Directed by Australian actor Damon Gameau, “2040” takes the audience on a journey to learn about innovative approaches to the climate crisis around the world, reflecting on the hopes and possibilities of the future the younger generation faces.

(Left to right) Clean Air Network CEO Patrick Fung, town planner Chin Chin Lam

Guest speaker Chin Chin Lam, a professional town planner and advocate for sustainable development, shared that at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Egypt last year, which she attended, generally people were gravely concerned about the future, and it was apparent that changes in urban design and living styles are urgently needed. However, Chin Chin remains optimistic as she notices a rising awareness around environmental issues in society.

As the theme of this year’s Clean Air Day “Breathe Right” connotes the idea of justice, Chin Chin noted that both air pollution and climate change disproportionately affect disadvantaged groups. Thus the Community Climate Resilience Concern Group, which she founded, is striving to create more space in the community for the grassroots to take refuge from the heat. This year, 10 new spots have been set up, demonstrating that everyone can take action and be part of the change.

Patrick Fung, Clean Air Network’s CEO, believes that not only the next generation, but also the current generation should think deeply about how our society should transform. He mentioned that the concept of “regeneration” illustrated in the film carries a more profound meaning than “sustainability”, as it focuses on the restoration of the balance between human and nature.

April, a participant of the screening, said that the sustainable development solutions depicted in the film were inspiring, such as the use of seaweed to absorb carbon emissions and reduce sea water temperature, and that the sharing by the guests helped her understand the current situation and challenges in the field. She believes that policy and education should go hand in hand to raise public awareness of the importance of protecting the environment.

Written by Clement Kwan

Introduction
Air Quality is a very basic and fundamental aspect of our world that we must strive to protect. Having clean air to breathe is necessary for good health and the current poor air quality that exists in our world has reduced many qualities of our life. Some may stem from air pollutants acting as irritants while others just smell bad. While others have caused respiratory diseases or even in some cases cancer.

Air quality is something very important in both indoor and outdoor environments. Some common outdoor air pollutants consist of Ground-level ozone, particulate matter and allergens, while others like secondhand smoke, mould and radon are commonly indoor air pollutants. Sometimes, poor air quality may hinder people’s ability or opportunity to be more physically active while others with pre-existing medical conditions such as asthma, emphysema or COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases) are at greater risk from poor air quality. Good air quality is an important livability indicator for a healthy community.

Why is Air Quality so Important?
Regardless of whether it stems from an indoor or outdoor situation, one thing stands clear and that’s how we as a society should deal with this prominent problem. Groups like the EEA (European Economic Area) have worked together to help better grasp the challenges of improving air quality on a more local scale. Expanding district heating, promoting cycling as an alternative, lowering speed limits and issuing congestion as one of the many changes to help improve local air quality.

Other successful initiatives also include those such as the relocation of industrial facilities, the modernisation of household stoves and boilers, transitioning to cleaner fuels for heating, and switching towards more eco-friendlier buses and trams, as well as the introduction of low-emission transport zones. All these measures collectively have been able to massively reduce local air pollution and often noise as well which has drastically improved residents’ quality of life.

Furthermore, these same actions have also been able to help cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and, in many cases, save money as well! However, it was reported that these same cities have encountered a few roadblocks, specifically in areas such as engaging with citizens and making a strong and effective political case for measures for improving air quality. This is something important to note.

Conclusion
As we begin to re-shift back into day to day life, we need to make sure we’re more self-conscious about our impacts on the environment and how we are impacting the air quality. Even though our impact may not be big, we should still continue being aware of the little changes we are able to make. Using less energy at home or switching off things when you’re not using them are great ways to start doing your part in protecting the environment. Everything we can do to use less energy is a start to slowly achieving a more sustainable world, where we can still live and prosper.

Bibliography
https://images.app.goo.gl/Kqy6yNsnwQn5UqHS9
https://www.tn.gov/health/cedep/environmental/healthy-places/healthy-places/environmental-quality/eq/air.html#:~:text=Breathing%20clean%20air%20can%20lessen,long%2D%20and%20short%2Dterm.
https://oxfordshire.air-quality.info/why-air-quality-is-important
https://www.eea.europa.eu/signals/signals-2020/articles/improving-air-quality-improves-people2019s

Ever since the industrial revolution, the air quality is ever deteriorating. But how much does it really affect us right now? We breathe in air every day and nothing serious may seem wrong with us now but what about in the future? Being exposed to air pollutants can have both short term and long term consequences on our health and can take the form of mild symptoms or may even become life threatening for some. You may have associated these symptoms as being caused by a change in season/ weather or that you’ve somehow caught a bug from a friend or family member when in fact it may have been caused by the air surrounding you every day.

The short term effects of exposure to air pollutants may have been something you’ve experienced before, these consequences include exacerbation of breathing problems such as asthma, allergies, pneumonia, bronchitis or simply a headache and dizziness. Long term health impacts include chronic asthma, respiratory diseases, lung cancer and is said to cause long term damage to the nervous system and other major organs such as the kidneys leading to premature deaths.

Some of the major air pollutants with the most adverse health effects are carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxides and different sized particulate matter. A brief summary of how these pollutants could harm our health.

Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odourless gas which can be produced by incomplete combustion of fuels in car engines. Due to increased vehicle emissions, more carbon monoxide is released into the air daily. Breathing in carbon monoxide causes mainly short term health effects. Cells require oxygen to carry out its functions, this oxygen is transported around the body by a protein called Haemoglobin, however carbon monoxide if breathed in will bind to haemoglobin instead of oxygen therefore reducing the overall oxygen uptake in the body. This short term exposure to carbon monoxide makes the heart more vulnerable commonly leading to chest pains known as angina.

Nitrogen Oxides
Nitrogen oxides similar to carbon monoxide are produced as a product of combustion. Nitrogen oxides can damage the respiratory tract and lead to asthma attacks and respiratory infections, long term exposure can lead to chronic lung diseases. Nitrogen oxides themselves can cause the formation of ozone and fine particles which are other examples of pollutants.

Particulate Matter
Different sized particulate matter can be found, they can be classified into two categories, fine PM which are particulates with a diameter of less than 2.5μm and coarse particulates with a diameter between 2.5μm and 10μm. Because of their sheer size, they are able to travel and penetrate deep into the respiratory system and deposit there. Biologically, mucous membranes that line the nose and throat will capture these particles and remove them, however if there is an abundance not every single particle can be captured. The finest particles will be able to travel the furthest and are likely to be deposited in the alveoli and bloodstream, slightly coarser particles will be deposited in bronchioles or in the trachea in general. PM that penetrate the lung epithelium will cause lung inflammation and can worsen respiratory diseases such as pulmonary disease and asthma or cause the lungs to be more sensitive to other irritants.

Sulfur Dioxides
Sulfur dioxides mainly attack the respiratory tract as well, short term exposure leads to irritation of skin and mucous membranes, when the skin and mucous membranes do not function properly, pathogens are much more likely to enter the body increasing the chances of inflammation in the respiratory tract due to the immune system being activated. Long term exposure will decline the lungs ability to function.

More on more studies are currently investigating further the long term effects of health and action is being taken in order to try and tackle the number of hospitalisations, premature deaths and cancer diagnoses that were caused by high levels of exposure to these air pollutants.

Bibliography:

Air Pollution. National Geographic Society. (2012, October 9). Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/air-pollution/.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, March 16). Air Pollutants. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/air/pollutants.htm.

Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). EPA. Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://www.epa.gov/co-pollution/basic-information-about-carbon-monoxide-co-outdoor-air-pollution#:~:text=Breathing%20air%20with%20a%20high,%2C%20confusion%2C%20unconsciousness%20and%20death.

Nitrogen Oxides. Queensland Government. (2013, August 29). Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/pollution/monitoring/air/air-pollution/pollutants/nitrogen-oxides.

Risk factors. Respiratory Problems: Risk Factors of Air Pollution | TCBI. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://www.thecleanbreathinginstitute.com/evidence/risk-factors/.

Sulfur dioxide effects on health. National Parks Service. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://www.nps.gov/subjects/air/humanhealth-sulfur.htm.

Sulfur dioxide. American Lung Association. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://www.lung.org/clean-air/outdoors/what-makes-air-unhealthy/sulfur-dioxide.

Written by Clean Air Student Council

It is necessary to protect yourself from air pollution in order to reduce the consequences of long term exposure to high concentrations of air pollutants and maintain good health. The following are some simple ways to protect you and your family from the dangers of air pollution. While every single one of us are affected by air pollution, those who have pre-existing health conditions like lung, heart or respiratory diseases, asthma and allergies are particularly vulnerable.

1. Download an app that will allow you to check the daily air pollution forecasts in your area. When the air quality is dangerously high, make sure to stay away from those areas. Alternatively, you could stay up to date by checking local TV weather reports and local news.
2. When air pollution levels are high, avoid doing outdoor activities or exercising outside. Instead, walk around a mall or go and exercise in a gym.
3. Stay away from roads with vehicle pile ups and high traffic as these areas will have high emissions of air pollutants.
4. Avoid burning wood or trash as this is a major source of particle pollution, if these particles are enclosed in an area for a long period of time, being breathed in can cause dizziness, headaches and nausea.
5. Invest in a dehumidifier or air purifier for your home. A good air purification system will help for better circulation in your house and decrease any indoor air pollutants that might be present such as pollen, smoke or irritants that have found their way inside.
6. Keep your windows closed at home to further help circulation and filtration and prevent air pollution from getting inside and being inhaled.
7. If exposed to high levels of air pollution one way to relieve the onset of any symptoms is to drink green tea. The antioxidants in green tea can help counteract the exposure to air pollutants. These antioxidants preferentially react with free radicals and toxins found in air pollution to prevent them from reacting with our cells.
8. If it is necessary for you to travel to an area with high levels of pollution, make sure to wear a mask that filtrates fine particles – avoid cloth masks as fine particles may still be able to penetrate it.
9. To protect yourself and others, aim to reduce other forms of pollution by driving less and limiting use of gas powered equipment.

Although it will take some time before appropriate solutions are found to counter the increasing levels of air pollution, what we can do in the present is to stay conscious of our surroundings and minimise our exposure to air pollution in order to remain healthy and prolong life.

Bibliography:

1. National Home Security Alliance. (2018, January 9). How to protect yourself from harmful air pollutants. Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://staysafe.org/how-to-protect-yourself-from-harmful-air-pollutants/.
2. Mine, A. (2020, September 23). 8 tips to protect yourself from unhealthy air quality. Fresno State News. Retrieved October 10, 2021, from http://www.fresnostatenews.com/2020/09/18/8-tips-to-protect-yourself-from-unhealthy-air-quality/.