THESIS
2023
1 online resource (ix, 106 pages) : illustrations (chiefly color)
Abstract
Air pollution management and the city’s air quality standards interlinks with each other in
determining whether more aggressive reduction measures are needed as well as indicating the
effectiveness of the implemented policy. Often, air quality standards are set with reference to the
World Health Organization (WHO) Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs) and its interim targets which
was recently updated in 2021 from its previous guidelines in 2006. Currently, air pollution
standards continue to use a reference-based standard where individual pollutants are viewed with
individualized standards. Air pollution communication methods in the majority of cities also use
a reference-based method to communicate air quality status to the public. However, air pollution
exists in the atmosphere as a collecti...[
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Air pollution management and the city’s air quality standards interlinks with each other in
determining whether more aggressive reduction measures are needed as well as indicating the
effectiveness of the implemented policy. Often, air quality standards are set with reference to the
World Health Organization (WHO) Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs) and its interim targets which
was recently updated in 2021 from its previous guidelines in 2006. Currently, air pollution
standards continue to use a reference-based standard where individual pollutants are viewed with
individualized standards. Air pollution communication methods in the majority of cities also use
a reference-based method to communicate air quality status to the public. However, air pollution
exists in the atmosphere as a collective risk and should be addressed holistically rather than
individualized. A risk-based approach to air pollution management and communication is
advantageous by tackling air pollution as a holistic matter rather than its individual pollutants.
Thus, this research will first cover the update on the short-term air quality health index (SAQHI)
for the excess health risk from short-term air pollution exposure as well as proposing a new
long-term air quality health index (LAQHI) for health risk communication due to long-term air
pollution exposure. Other than risk communication, a new short-term and long-term risk-based
air quality standard (SRAQS, LRAQS) is proposed by combining the excess health risk (%ER) of
the criteria pollutants to form a single SRAQS and LRAQS value to represent the overall air
quality standard to be in place of the current reference-based framework. Historical air quality
data in Hong Kong will be used throughout this research and converted into a percentage excess
health risk using short-term and long-term risk factors. 2021 WHO AQGs concentrations and its
interim targets (ITs) will be used as the reference concentrations to set the risk standards and its
interim standards making it implementable to different cities that want to implement a risk-based
approach. When converted into a risk-based approach, it provides a more comprehensive
approach to air quality management that can convert from focusing on the pollutant’s
concentration to focusing on decreasing the risk to human health. This change in both AQHI
and RAQS brings light to advancing air pollution reduction more effectively than the current
reference-based method, specifically highlighting pursuing air pollution reduction as a holistic
matter rather than single-pollutant focused. Today’s air quality situation is significantly better
than in 1970 when the Clean Air Act (CAA) was established. With the major reduction in air
pollution concentrations, it is imperative to address air pollution as a collective risk, with future
research, the risk-based AQHI and RAQS is also highly adaptable for worldwide use and for incorporation of other air toxins that may pose significant health threats making the risk-based
approach an even more desirable and effective framework for both air pollution and climate
control.
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