Hong Kong pollution is worst ever

Major pollutants, such as respirable suspended particles and nitrogen oxides, were found to be at their worst level ever in Hong Kong, and ten times as bad as they were in 2005, according to the city's Environmental Protection Department.

The figures, reported in Reuters, showed that vehicle emissions and industrial pollution from Pearl River Delta, which is one of the most densely urbanised regions in the world, are already forcing large commercial organisations to move elsewhere over health concerns.

HSBC Holdings Plc and Goldman Sachs Group Inc both have Asian headquarters in the central business district, where readings have been revealed to be excessive a quarter of the time.

Readings from roadside monitoring systems placed at Hong Kong's Central, Causeway Bay and Mong Kok commercial districts showed pollution levels were above the 100 mark more than 20 per cent of the time.

Environmentalists have accused the government of ignoring calls for air quality objectives in favour of new infrastructure projects, but the department shifted the blame on weather conditions and ageing vehicles on the streets.

Posted by Lauren Steadman