education
A
ccording to the World Health
Organization (WHO), air
pollution is "the world's single
largest environmental risk to
health" and currently “nine out of ten
people worldwide breathe polluted air”.
So it seems we can’t really escape it,
especially in Asia. And if you’ve lived in
Hong Kong, even for a short period, you
have experienced notable exposure to
air pollution.
The consequences of breathing this
air are not ideal. Ranging from minor
upper respiratory irritation to chronic
respiratory disease and heart disease,
air pollution may also lead to cancer,
chronic bronchitis and asthma attacks
and it affects a number of different
systems and organs in the body
Thankfully, there is more awareness
today than there was just a few short
years ago. The Hong Kong government
has been undertaking a number of
initiatives to inform the public. For
example, the Environmental Protection
Department releases hourly Air Quality
Health Index (AQHI) information which
is meant to direct the public to take
precautionary measures to protect their
health based on the level of ambient
pollution. This is done using a 1-10
scale for the level of pollution along with
guidelines for each level.
Currently, most sources of outdoor
air pollution are well beyond the control
of individuals. Eco-warriors will continue
to battle on, but tackling air pollution
demands action by policy-makers
worldwide. Here in Hong Kong, there are
multiple sources of air pollution but we
can point to three main factors— roadside
pollution from motor vehicles, marine
vessel emissions and power plants in
Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta.
The respective governing departments
will have to step up to make the changes
necessary to protect the health of the
public, especially vulnerable populations.
Children are particularly vulnerable
because they breathe more rapidly
than adults and the cell layer in their
lungs is more permeable to pollutant
particles. The tiny particles can also
cross the blood-brain barrier, which is
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less resistant in children, permanently
harming cognitive development and their
future prospects, according to a Unicef
Report. Childhood is a critical period
for brain formation and research shows
exposure to pollution decreases cognitive
performance and impairs neurological
function. Additionally, exposure to
environmental pollutants during important
times of physiological development can
lead to long-lasting health problems,
dysfunction and disease.
Humans these days spend the
majority of our time indoors. For children,
much of that time is spent in school. So
what are schools in Asia doing to protect
our children and their staff?
In South Korea, the government
recently passed a revised school
health act to improve the quality of air
and safety at preschools, primary and
secondary schools. The law requires
the installation of air-cleaning systems
and air quality sensors in classrooms.
The Education Ministry aims to have
air-cleaning equipment installed in all
classrooms in preschools, elementary
schools and special education schools,
followed by installations at all middle and
high school classrooms by the end of
the year.
In Beijing, more than two years ago,
education authorities gave way to public
pressure, agreeing to install air purification
equipment in schools. The decision to
install air purifiers came nearly a year after
the commission rejected a similar public
call from parents.
Singapore revised its air quality
index to add PM2.5 and installed
about 25,000 air purifiers in ministry of
education kindergartens, primary and
secondary schools as of July 2016.
Minister of Education, Ng Chee Meng,
said this “will further enhance the well-
being of our students and staff.”
Here in Hong Kong, the Education
Bureau (EDB) publishes health risk
guidelines based on the government’s
AQHI, which does not fully account
for hazardous factors like PM2.5
considered by the WHO. Schools
following these guidelines are really
taking the minimum precautions and
may even be misguided by the AQHI in
terms of actual health risk. The steps
some Hong Kong schools are taking to
safeguard the health of their students
and staff include installing air purifiers
throughout the school, monitoring
indoor and outdoor air quality locally
and creating their own policies to
handle poor air quality days.
One example of a school doing this
is Discovery Bay International School.
The school takes information from the
government as well as from another
sources, and their own monitoring
equipment. Decisions regarding
outdoor activities are made based
on all the available information and a
school policy, with a far higher standard
than that provided by the EDB, and
is adhered to. Air purifiers are used
throughout the school.
Other schools in Hong Kong with air
purification include the following*:
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Island Christian Academy
Kellett Kowloon Bay
Kellett Pokfulam
Discovery Bay International School
Nord Anglia (Lam Tin)
Kingston International School
ICHK Hong Lok Yuen
Fairchild Junior Academy
Mudpies Education Centre
Mulberry House
Victoria
YMCA CIKG
Malvern College
St. Catherine's
Stamford American
Hong Kong Academy
Mills International Preschool
Tutortime Caine Road
FIS new campus in TKO
Galilee International Kindergarten
Rightmind
Mighty Oaks International Kindergarten
Discovery Mind Primary School
Discovery Mind Kindergarten
International Montessori School
*If your school has air purifiers or an air
quality policy above and beyond that of
the EBD, please let us know. We’d love