Article: Air pollution: Costs and paths to a solution in Hong Kong - Understanding the connections among visibility, air pollution, and health costs in pursuit of accountability, environmental justice, and health protection

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TitleAir pollution: Costs and paths to a solution in Hong Kong - Understanding the connections among visibility, air pollution, and health costs in pursuit of accountability, environmental justice, and health protection
AuthorsHedley, AJ2
Mcghee, SM2
Barron, B4
Chau, P2
Chau, J2
Thach, TQ2
Wong, TW3
Loh, C1
Wong, CM2
Issue Date2008
PublisherTaylor & Francis Inc. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/15287394.asp
CitationJournal Of Toxicology And Environmental Health - Part A: Current Issues, 2008, v. 71 n. 9-10, p. 544-554 [How to Cite?]
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15287390801997476
AbstractAir quality has deteriorated in Hong Kong over more than 15 yr. As part of a program of public accountability, photographs on Poor and Better visibility days were used as representations of the relationships among visibility, air pollution, adverse health effects, and community costs for health care and lost productivity. Coefficients from time-series models and gazetted costs were used to estimate the health and economic impacts of different levels of pollution. In this population of 6.9 million, air quality improvement from the annual average to the lowest pollutant levels of Better visibility days, comparable to the World Health Organization air quality guidelines, would avoid 1335 deaths, 60,587 hospital bed days, and 6.7 million doctor visits for respiratory complaints each year. Direct costs and productivity losses avoided would be over US$240 million a year. The dissemination of these findings led to increased demands for pollution controls from the public and legislators, but denials of the need for urgent action arose from the government. The outcome demonstrates the need for more effective translation of the scientific evidence base into risk communication and public policy. Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
ISSN1528-7394
2011 Impact Factor: 1.83
2011 SCImago Journal Rankings: 0.107
DOIhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15287390801997476
ReferencesReferences in Scopus
DC Field
Value
dc.contributor.authorHedley, AJ
dc.contributor.authorMcghee, SM
dc.contributor.authorBarron, B
dc.contributor.authorChau, P
dc.contributor.authorChau, J
dc.contributor.authorThach, TQ
dc.contributor.authorWong, TW
dc.contributor.authorLoh, C
dc.contributor.authorWong, CM
dc.date.accessioned2012-06-26T06:26:07Z
dc.date.available2012-06-26T06:26:07Z
dc.date.issued2008
dc.description.abstractAir quality has deteriorated in Hong Kong over more than 15 yr. As part of a program of public accountability, photographs on Poor and Better visibility days were used as representations of the relationships among visibility, air pollution, adverse health effects, and community costs for health care and lost productivity. Coefficients from time-series models and gazetted costs were used to estimate the health and economic impacts of different levels of pollution. In this population of 6.9 million, air quality improvement from the annual average to the lowest pollutant levels of Better visibility days, comparable to the World Health Organization air quality guidelines, would avoid 1335 deaths, 60,587 hospital bed days, and 6.7 million doctor visits for respiratory complaints each year. Direct costs and productivity losses avoided would be over US$240 million a year. The dissemination of these findings led to increased demands for pollution controls from the public and legislators, but denials of the need for urgent action arose from the government. The outcome demonstrates the need for more effective translation of the scientific evidence base into risk communication and public policy. Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
dc.description.natureLink_to_subscribed_fulltext
dc.identifier.citationJournal Of Toxicology And Environmental Health - Part A: Current Issues, 2008, v. 71 n. 9-10, p. 544-554 [How to Cite?]
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15287390801997476
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15287390801997476
dc.identifier.epage554
dc.identifier.isiWOS:000256886800002
dc.identifier.issn1528-7394
2011 Impact Factor: 1.83
2011 SCImago Journal Rankings: 0.107
dc.identifier.issue9-10
dc.identifier.pmid18569625
dc.identifier.scopuseid_2-s2.0-46749088979
dc.identifier.spage544
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/151656
dc.identifier.volume71
dc.languageeng
dc.publisherTaylor & Francis Inc. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/15287394.asp
dc.publisher.placeUnited States
dc.relation.ispartofJournal of Toxicology and Environmental Health - Part A: Current Issues
dc.relation.referencesReferences in Scopus
dc.subject.meshAir Pollution - Adverse Effects - Analysis - Economics
dc.subject.meshCost Of Illness
dc.subject.meshHong Kong
dc.subject.meshHospitalization - Economics - Statistics & Numerical Data
dc.subject.meshHumans
dc.subject.meshNitrogen Dioxide - Analysis
dc.subject.meshOzone - Analysis
dc.subject.meshParticulate Matter - Analysis
dc.subject.meshRespiratory Tract Diseases - Economics - Etiology - Mortality
dc.subject.meshSocial Responsibility
dc.subject.meshSulfur Dioxide - Analysis
dc.titleAir pollution: Costs and paths to a solution in Hong Kong - Understanding the connections among visibility, air pollution, and health costs in pursuit of accountability, environmental justice, and health protection
dc.typeArticle
Author Affiliations
  1. Civic Exchange
  2. The University of Hong Kong
  3. Prince of Wales Hospital Hong Kong
  4. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology