空氣污染如何影響公眾健康及研究

1. How air pollution affects public health (空氣污染如何影響公眾健康):

a. According to the Hedley Environmental Index (HEI), air pollution killed 2.3 Hong Kong people a day in 2009. There were 845 deaths and 6.16 million doctor visits resulting exclusively from air pollution last year. (根據達理指數(Hedley Environmental Index, HEI)計算，在2009 年，空氣污染導致香港平均每日2.3 人死亡，全年則有845 人死亡；求診人次達616 萬。 )

b. Air pollution affects public health seriously, especially the elderly and children. (空氣污染嚴重影響公眾的身體健康，長者、兒童尤甚。)

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i. EVERYONE每個人

Air pollution reduces the human body’s natural defenses against sickness. (空氣污染削弱身體的免疫能力，增加患病機會)

-          Heart rate increases after just two hours of exposure to high levels of roadside pollution. (暴露在高污染的情況超過2 小時，心跳速度會加快)

-          Air pollution increases the occurrence of allergies and asthma. (鼻敏感、哮喘患者病發的機會增加)

ii. ELDERLY長者

-          More likely to have a stroke or heart attack on days of high pollution. (在高污染的日子，較高機會中風或心臟病發)

-          If they live in a place with high levels of roadside pollution, more than double the risk of hospitalization for pneumonia. (如果家住路邊污染附近，患肺炎的機會高過1 倍)

iii. CHILDREN兒童

-          Lung function and lung capacity impairment. (影響肺部生長及肺功能)

-          May harm the developing brain and cause lower IQ scores. (損害胎兒腦部發展，降低智商)

c. 53% of the time, the majority of pollution is from Hong Kong itself6. The second largest serious source of air pollution is roadside traffic, because of high concentrations and proximity to pedestrians. In addition, the problem of urban planning causes the “street canyon effect”, with serious traffic congestion preventing the dispersion of pollution. (香港空氣污染源超過53%時間來自香港本地6，路邊汽車是第二大污染源。因為濃度高，接近路邊的行人及市民，加上香港城市設計的問題，產生街谷效應，又經常塞車，令污染物不易吹散，加劇對人體的影響。)

2. Research finding:

a. In 2002, the American Cancer Society studied diesel truck drivers, diesel mechanics, and others constantly exposed very directly to diesel exhaust and found that their risk of lung cancer increased by up to 50%. (2002 年，美國癌症協會研究顯示，柴油車輛司機、柴油機械操作工人及持續吸入柴油廢氣的工人，患上肺癌的機會率比一般人高出50%)

b. In 2008, the research of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University found that roadside workers and street-level retail staff exhibit lower lung capacity than university office staff. (2008 年，香港理工大學研究結果8指出，路邊小販及路邊店舖的售貨員，深受路邊廢氣影響，他們的肺功能比大學辦公室職員差)

c. In 2008, there were two University of Hong Kong research studies which found that individuals with lower socioeconomic status (SES) were more vulnerable to the health effects of air pollution and an increased risk of mortality than those with higher SES. (2008 年，以香港大學多位學者為主的兩項研究結果更顯示，社會經濟地位較低的群組，因空氣污染引致疾病而死亡的風險較高)

i. People living in public rental housing were shown to have a higher mortality risk associated with exposure to PM10 and NO2 than people living in private housing. (中一項研究9證實，公屋居民因吸入懸浮粒子及二氧化氮而引致的死亡風險，比住在私樓的人高)

ii. The health effects of all four pollutants (PM10, NO2, SO2 and O3) were significantly more pronounced in blue-collar workers than those who were never employed or employed in white-collar professions. (部四種污染物（包括懸浮粒子、二氧化氮、二氧化硫及臭氧）對藍領工人階層的影響，遠遠大於從未受僱人士或白領階層。)

iii. In areas rated "middle" or "high" on the Social Deprivation Index (SDI 11), significant associations were found between levels of PM10, NO2, SO2 and O3 and incidents of non-accidental cardiovascular mortality. (另外一項調查結果10發現，社會剝奪指數(Social Deprivation Index, SDI11)達中、高程度的地區，其心血管疾病的非意外死亡率與懸浮粒子、二氧化氮、二氧化硫及臭氧等空氣污染物有密切關係)

Sources: www.hongkongcan.org