Health impact assessment of marine emissions in Pearl River Delta region

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin 2013-01, Vol.66 (1-2), p.158-163
• Main Authors: Lai, H.K., Tsang, H., Chau, J., Lee, C.H., McGhee, S.M., Hedley, A.J., Wong, C.M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air Pollutants - analysis; Air pollution; Air Pollution - statistics & numerical data; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Brackish; China; control methods; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; emissions; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Fresh water ecosystems; Freshwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; health effects assessments; Health Impact Assessment; Hong Kong; Hospitalization; human health; Humans; Marine; Marine and brackish environment; Marine vessel emission; MARPOL convention; Mortality; nitrogen dioxide; Nitrogen Dioxide - analysis; ozone; Ozone - analysis; Particulate Matter - analysis; particulates; people; risk; river deltas; Rivers; Sea water ecosystems; Sulfur dioxide; Sulfur Dioxide - analysis; Synecology; water pollution
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2012.09.029

► The first health impact study of marine emissions in the busiest container port. ► A contrast of burdens across regions due to different proximity to the coastline. ► The failure of the Hong Kong government to follow the MARPOL Convention. Global marine vessels emissions are adversely affecting human health particularly in southeast Asia. But health burdens from both ocean- and river-going vessels in Pearl River Delta (PRD) regions are not quantified. We estimated the potential health impacts using pooled relative risks of mortality and hospital admissions in China, and the model derived concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO2), particulate matter (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3) due to vessels emissions. SO2 concentrations due to marine emissions in Hong Kong were 13.6μgm−3 compared with 0.7μgm−3 in PRD regions that were far from the marine vessels. In PRD regions, the estimated annual numbers (per million people) of excess deaths from all natural causes and hospital admissions from cardiorespiratory causes attributable to SO2, NO2, O3 and PM10 combined from marine emissions were 45 and 265 respectively. Marine emission control measures could contribute a large reduction in mortality and hospital admissions in PRD regions especially in Hong Kong.