Evaluation of the effectiveness of air pollution control measures in Hong Kong

X P Lyu; L W Zeng; H Guo; I J Simpson; Z H Ling; Y Wang; F Murray; P K K Louie; S M Saunders; S H M Lam; D R Blake

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2016.09.025

Evaluation of the effectiveness of air pollution control measures in Hong Kong

Environ Pollut. 2017 Jan;220(Pt A):87-94. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.09.025. Epub 2016 Sep 12.

Authors

X P Lyu¹, L W Zeng¹, H Guo², I J Simpson³, Z H Ling¹, Y Wang¹, F Murray⁴, P K K Louie⁵, S M Saunders⁶, S H M Lam⁷, D R Blake³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong.
² Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong. Electronic address: ceguohai@polyu.edu.hk.
³ Department of Chemistry, University of California at Irvine, CA, USA.
⁴ Environmental Science, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia.
⁵ Environmental Protection Department, Hong Kong.
⁶ School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
⁷ School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia; Pacific Environment Limited, Perth, Australia.

PMID: 27634000
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.09.025

Abstract

From 2005 to 2013, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other trace gases were continuously measured at a suburban site in Hong Kong. The measurement data showed that the concentrations of most air pollutants decreased during these years. However, ozone (O₃) and total non-methane hydrocarbon levels increased with the rate of 0.23 ± 0.03 and 0.34 ± 0.02 ppbv/year, respectively, pointing to the increasing severity of photochemical pollution in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong government has ongoing programs to improve air quality in Hong Kong, including a solvent program implemented during 2007-2011, and a diesel commercial vehicle (DCV) program since 2007. From before to after the solvent program, the sum of toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene isomers decreased continuously with an average rate of -99.1 ± 6.9 pptv/year, whereas the sum of ethene and propene increased by 48.2 ± 2.0 pptv/year from before to during the DCV program. Despite this, source apportionment results showed that VOCs emitted from diesel exhaust decreased at a rate of -304.5 ± 17.7 pptv/year, while solvent related VOCs decreased at a rate of -204.7 ± 39.7 pptv/year. The gasoline and liquefied petroleum gas vehicle emissions elevated by 1086 ± 34 pptv/year, and were responsible for the increases of ethene and propene. Overall, the simulated O₃ rate of increase was lowered from 0.39 ± 0.03 to 0.16 ± 0.05 ppbv/year by the solvent and DCV programs, because O₃ produced by solvent usage and diesel exhaust related VOCs decreased (p < 0.05) by 0.16 ± 0.01 and 0.05 ± 0.01 ppbv/year between 2005 and 2013, respectively. However, enhanced VOC emissions from gasoline and LPG vehicles accounted for most of the O₃ increment (0.09 ± 0.01 out of 0.16 ± 0.05 ppbv/year) in these years. To maintain a zero O₃ increment in 2020 relative to 2010, the lowest reduction ratio of VOCs/NOx was ∼1.5 under the NOx reduction of 20-30% which was based on the emission reduction plan for Pearl River Delta region in 2020.

Keywords: Air pollution; Control measures; MCM; Ozone; Photochemical pollution.

Publication types

Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants / analysis*
Air Pollution / legislation & jurisprudence
Air Pollution / prevention & control*
Alkenes
Benzene Derivatives
Environmental Monitoring*
Environmental Policy*
Hong Kong
Hydrocarbons / analysis
Ozone / analysis
Rivers
Solvents
Toluene / analysis
Vehicle Emissions / analysis
Volatile Organic Compounds / analysis

Substances

Air Pollutants
Alkenes
Benzene Derivatives
Hydrocarbons
Solvents
Vehicle Emissions
Volatile Organic Compounds
Toluene
Ozone
propylene
ethylbenzene