Weather blamed as delta air quality worsensPollution fell below national air quality standards at all monitoring stations across Guangdong and Hong Kong in the first half of the year, caused by "unfavorable" weather conditions.

//-->Nishika Patel Friday, October 26, 2007
Pollution fell below national air quality standards at all monitoring stations across Guangdong and Hong Kong in the first half of the year, caused by "unfavorable" weather conditions.

High levels of pollutants were recorded at 13 stations in Guangdong and the stations in Tsuen Wan, Tung Chung and Tap Mun, according to data from a study conducted by the Environmental Protection Department and Guangdong's Environmental Protection Monitoring Center.

Foshan, home to plastics and electronic manufacturers, was found to be the most polluted area in the Pearl River Delta.

At Huijingcheng station in Foshan, pollution exceeded standards in more than a third of the readings, while air quality was only "well within" standards less than 1 percent of the time.
The environment watchdog in Hong Kong said the pollution is "mainly triggered by meteorological conditions unfavorable to pollutant dispersion," but it is also caused by emissions, particularly from factories and power plants.

Professor Wong Tze- wai of Chinese University said "the level of air pollution is dependent on weather conditions. If they are not favorable, you get a substantial build-up of pollutants - particularly with still weather and low pressures.

"But we cannot depend on the weather to tackle pollution: cutting emissions is the way forward."

Civic Exchange's environmental program manager Michele Weldon said the data must now be used to draw up an action plan.

The delta's northwest saw the most serious levels of sulfur dioxide, a pollutant emitted by power plants, vehicles and vessels.

Wong said: "There have been quite a few new recent developments of industrial ... and large-scale development in the northwest which may have adversely impacted the air quality. In the northeast in Huizhou, the Shell plant pumps out volatile chemicals - all these will have an adverse effect on Hong Kong."

Hong Kong fared better than Guangdong in the research. But on more than 80 percent of the days monitored in Tsuen Wan, pollutants exceeded or nearly exceeded the national air quality standard while Tap Mun and Tung Chung scored 60 percent.
An EPD spokesman said: "The air-control measures being implemented by both governments will have a positive impact on our air quality in the long run. After collecting sufficient data from the regional air quality monitoring network, we should be able to evaluate the effectiveness of these control measures."