Hong Kong Air Quality

Hong Kong has a serious air pollution problem. This is one of the costs of the Chinese economic miracle and the proximity to southern China where much of the "world's factory" carries out production. These "negative externalities" -- in the polite, neutral, and sterile language of economics -- pose grave environmental and health threats to the entire mainland.

In Hong Kong I routinely receive email warnings such as the one that arrived this morning:

API ALERT - Central Roadside

The Average Pollution Index at the Central Roadside air quality monitoring station is 139. The air is hazardous. We recommend that you avoid roadside situations and refrain from vigorous outdoor exercise.

The contributing pollutants are:

Particulate Matter (PM10): 100.4 micrograms per m3 (2.01 x WHO AQG)
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2): 78.0 micrograms per m3 (0.39 x WHO AGG)
Sulfur Dioxide (SO2): 22.0 micrograms per m3 (1.1 x WHO AQG)




A view of Victoria Harbor this morning.