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Freeway air pollution linked to brain damage in mice

Greenpeace 7 April 2011

It is well known that air pollution from cars and trucks on Southern California freeways — a combination of soot, pavement dust and other toxic substances — can cause respiratory disease, heart attacks, cancer and premature death.

Now, exposure to pollution particles roughly one-thousandth the width of a human hair has been linked to brain damage in mice, including signs associated with memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease, according to a USC study in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

In a statement, senior author Caleb Finch, an expert on the effects of inflammation and holder of USC’s ARCO/William F. Kieschnick Chair in the Neurobiology of Aging, said “You can’t see them, but they are inhaled and have an effect on brain neurons that raises the possibility of long-term brain health consequences of freeway air.”

The study relied on a unique technology developed at USC for collecting particulates in a liquid suspension and recreating air laden with freeway particulate matter in the laboratory, which enabled scientists to conduct controlled experiments on cultured brain cells and live animals.

Exposure lasted a total of 150 hours, spread over 10 weeks, in three sessions per week lasting five hours each.

How can we protect the millions of people who live alongside freeways from this type of toxicity?

In an interview, lead author Todd Morgan, a research professor in gerontology at USC, said, “Our data would suggest that freeway pollution could have a profound effect on the development of neurons and brain health in children and young kids, especially those who attend schools built alongside freeways.”

“So limiting one’s exposure — especially children’s exposure — to freeway pollution is essential to control asthma, cardiovascular conditions and cognitive development,” Morgan said.

The study was prompted by earlier research by a separate group in Mexico that noted significant differences in brain samples collected from children and young-adult accident victims in smog-laden Mexico City compared with those in Veracruz, which has cleaner air.

The brain tissue collected in Mexico City showed more extensive inflammation, oxidized DNA and other pathological markers of Alzheimer’s disease, Morgan said.

“As a society, we need to figure out ways to minimize the level of the very, very nasty particulates we are dumping into the air we breathe,” Morgan said. “It’s having terrible consequences.”

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2011/04/freeway-air-pollution-brain-damage-mice.html

KMB fleet takes cleaner route

February 02, 2011 The Standard

Kowloon Motor Bus is doing its bit to ensure there is less pollution on the roads.

The bus company said it has reduced the average particulate emission levels of its fleet by 90 percent over the past eight years, and the figure will be further reduced this year with the arrival of 300 Euro V buses.

Euro V vehicles emit 43 percent less nitrogen oxide when compared to the Euro IV engines, it said. As of last December, there were 89 Euro V buses in Hong Kong.

KMB principal engineer Kane Shum Yuet-hung said the 300 Euro V buses will be put on the streets as soon as they arrive.

“We are happy to announce that KMB has successfully reduced the average particulate emission levels of our fleet by 90.4 percent last year as compared with emission levels in 1992, when the European Union’s exhaust emission standards had not yet been introduced to Hong Kong,” Shum said.

He also told of a one-year pilot program in which three buses- one Euro II and two Euro III – will be retrofitted with catalytic reduction devices to meet Euro IV nitrogen oxide emission standards.

“The pilot program will be launched in the second half of this year, while pilot low- emission zones will be designated in Causeway Bay, Central and Mong Kok.”

The pilot program was announced by Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen in his last policy address.

The government will fully fund the retrofitting of the devices while bus companies will bear the subsequent operating and maintenance costs.

Regarding Tsang’s plan to replace diesel buses with six hybrid buses for use by the franchised bus companies along busy corridors, Shum said KMB will test three of the air-conditioned buses for two years in busy districts starting from the second half of 2012.

The Environment Bureau last week proposed spending HK$33 million on the two-year pilot program.

Looking ahead, a pilot program involving Euro VI buseswill be conducted in 2014 with the target of putting them into service in 2015, Shum said

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=4&art_id=107707&sid=31137844&con_type=1&d_str=20110202&fc=4

High pollution blamed on ageing vehicles

RTHK  31 DEC 2010

The government says Hong Kong’s ageing vehicle fleet is responsible for the very high levels of roadside air pollution. Days with roadside readings above 100 – which are particularly hazardous to the young, elderly and those with heart and respiratory problems – increased by 35% this year over 2009.

Mok Wai-chuen, an Assistant Director of the Environmental Protection Department, said while levels of respirable suspended particulates and sulphur dioxide had fallen since last year, nitrogen dioxide emissions had increased 6%.

Mr Mok said older franchised buses were a major cause of the problem. But he said many older buses are now being retrofitted with emission limiting devices to upgrade them to more modern, or Euro-4 standard. He also said a pilot scheme would designate pollution blackspots – Central, Causeway Bay and Mong Kok – as low emission zones, in which the use of Euro-4 or better buses would be increased as far as possible in 2011, rising to 100% by 2015.

http://rthk.hk/rthk/news/englishnews/news.htm?main&20101231&56&723591

Hong Kong roadside pollution soars to record highs

aleqm5hlh_oukx2sllp9krjz44oxl73ndgLast updated: May 4, 2010

Source: AFP via Google

Hong Kong’s roadside pollution soared to record highs in last two quarters, official data showed Tuesday.

Roadside pollution was “very high” or “severe” for 14 percent of the time between January and March, and 24 percent of the time in the fourth quarter of 2009, according to statistics from the Environmental Protection Department.

The six-month period was the most polluted in the city since the department started releasing quarterly findings in 1999.

A survey of people in more than 150 countries last month found Hong Kong residents were the most dissatisfied with their air quality.

The poll, by the consultancy Gallup, revealed that 70 percent of the financial hub’s inhabitants were unhappy with the city’s air.

In March, Hong Kong recorded its first “severe” roadside pollution warning in a decade, when a toxic soup of particulates fuelled by a massive sandstorm in Beijing shrouded the city’s famed skyline for several days.

“Severe” pollution means the concentration of pollutants exceed 200 micrograms per cubic metre of air. The warning advises the public to stay away from areas with heavy traffic.

Air pollution has become an increasing public health and economic headache for the authorities in the city of seven million, as green groups warned that the problem would force talented professionals to leave.

Last month, Hong Kong’s leading authority on air pollution, Anthony Hedley, announced that he was leaving the city for the Isle of Man in Britain to find clean air to try to keep his respiratory problems under control.

Clean Air Network, an environmental campaign group, said it was “a sad irony that one of those most committed to alleviating Hong Kong’s air pollution now has to leave the city primarily for that reason.”

Emissions from the factory belt in southern China over Hong Kong’s northern border combined with local emissions from power plants and transport have generated a thick blanket of haze over the city in recent years.

The government said it has stepped up efforts to cut vehicle emissions, including tax breaks for users of environmentally-friendly hybrid cars.

Letter to the South China Morning Post

bus-pollutionLast week the Legco Panel on Environmental Affairs received submissions on the Euro 1 and pre Euro diesel vehicle retirement scheme. We are led to believe the proposed increased road licence fee on these vehicles will not be enough to get them off the road. The replacement of these vehicles is a health measure to reduce major roadside pollution.

We suggest what will  make a difference is to require a full roadworthiness  test twice a year for vehicles up to 15 years old and three times a year for 15-20 year diesel bangers, in addition to a levy on imported replacement spare parts.  The ‘hassle’ value and the cost of repeated maintenance and  testing may be enough to get the owners to voluntarily scrap the vehicles for which there should be no charge at surrender areas.

We suggest members of the public write  letters  directly to LegCo members on the Environmental Panel to influence them into positive action.

Meanwhile a firmer line must be taken with the bus companies to use hybrid and  or Euro 5 vehicles on the major thoroughfares like Nathan Road; considering these companies obtain their diesel without excise duty and are not required to pay first registration tax on their vehicles ,their licence to print money needs mandatory early retirement of their existing polluting fleet. KMB has 1240 Pre and Euro 1 buses out of a fleet of 3880; Citibus has 350 pre and Euro 1 buses out of a fleet of 920 and New World First Bus has 110 out of 700. There are only 145 Euro 4 buses in Hong Kong out of a total fleet of 5,760.

James Middleton

Chairman Energy Committee

Clear the Air

www.cleartheair.org.hk

Tel 26930136

Old buses to be retired by 2019

old-busFirst published: March 17, 2010

Source: Hong Kong Government

Secretary for the Environment Edward Yau anticipated all pre-Euro and Euro I buses will be retired no later than 2012 and 2015, respectively, while Euro II buses will retire by 2019.

Mr Yau told lawmakers today if all pre-Euro, Euro I and Euro II commercial vehicles including franchised buses are retired, the economic benefit will be about $24.3 billion.
(more…)

LCQ15:Reduction in the emissions from franchised buses and the resultant pollution problems

Hong Kong busFirst published: March 17, 2010

Source: Hong Kong Government, via 7th Space

Following is a question by Hon Kam Nai-wai and a written reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Edward Yau, in the Legislative Council today (March 17): Question: Regarding the reduction in the emissions from franchised buses and the resultant pollution problems, will the Government inform this Council: (a) of the current number of buses in each of the bus fleets of franchised bus companies, with a breakdown by the emission standard met by the buses; (b) of the number of old buses replaced by each franchised bus company in the past five years, the replacement cost per bus and the total replacement costs involved; how these figures compare with the corresponding estimated figures in the next five years; whether it knows if such companies have finalised their respective bus replacement timetables for the next five years; if the timetables have been finalised, of the details; if the timetables have not been finalised, the reasons for that; and (c) whether it has studied and estimated the losses suffered and social costs borne by Hong Kong as a result of the pollution problems caused by emissions from franchised buses; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and what solutions the Government has to reduce the losses and costs in this regard?

(more…)

Exhausting work

stick and carrot race

Last updated: March 12, 2010

Source: South China Morning Post

In a letter to the SCMP, Christine Loh Kung-wai,  chief executive of the think-tank Civic Exchange, had this to say:

If Hong Kong doesn’t get the “carrots and sticks” formula right, it will continue to be hard to replace the old and highly polluting commercial diesel bus and truck fleet. There is no doubt about the harm these vehicles cause. Government data shows they are the principal emitters of roadside pollution, accounting for 88 per cent of the highly health-damaging particulates and 76 per cent of nitrogen dioxide, another pollutant.

Overseas research shows that those living within 500 metres of busy and congested roads are the worst affected. Negative health impacts include asthma, allergies, impaired lung functions in children and cardiovascular problems for the elderly.
(more…)

Diesel Franchised buses in Hong Kong

polluting school buses

By the end 2009, the breakdown on the number of franchised buses by engine type is as follows:

Engine Type

KMB

CTB

NWFB

LW

NLB

Pre-Euro

300

40

30

less than 5

0

Euro I

940

310

80

0

0

Euro II

1490

530

480

130

35

Euro III

1100

10

70

20

50

Euro IV

50

30

40

10

15

Total

3880

920

700

160

100

Totals:

Engine Type

KMB

CTB

NWFB

LW

NLB

Total

Pre-Euro

300

40

30

less than 5

0

373

Euro I

940

310

80

0

0

1330

Euro II

1490

530

480

130

35

2665

Euro III

1100

10

70

20

50

1250

Euro IV

50

30

40

10

15

145

Total

3880

920

700

160

100

5760

(more…)

Higher fees eyed to drive polluting trucks off road

polluting truckLast updated: March 11 ,2010

Source: South China Morning Post

They dangled a carrot, but too few bit.

Now environment officials are considering wielding a stick to get heavily polluting old trucks off the city’s streets.

They have decided to resurrect as soon as possible a proposal to increase licence fees for trucks and vans 15 or more years old, to discourage people from keeping the vehicles.

Under the proposal, higher fees would apply to dirtier vehicles such as those made before the Euro 1 standard, which placed limits on emitted pollutants, took effect in 1995.

Those older vehicles could be as much as 20 times more polluting than those covered by the latest version of the standard, Euro 4, introduced in 2006.

(more…)