Hazardous levels of trace metals found in Hong Kong’s air
June 12, 2014 Category Environment, Pollution
The air in China contains much more fine metallic particles than in the United States, according to scientists studying samples of air pollutants collected across the country, including Hong Kong. The city’s overall PM2.5 levels are lower than in most urban centers on the mainland, but it has a higher concentration of health-threatening trace metals, the scientists say. Nearly 20% of PM2.5 particle samples collected in the city carried metals such as zinc, a hazardous element that can permanently damage DNA. Scientists say it is not only the level of PM2.5 that matters, but also the particles’ composition. Excessive amounts of zinc and chromium are toxic and can lead to a wide range of problems, from premature ageing to cancer. Scientists warn that without tighter environmental regulations, high trace metal levels could lead to a public health crisis. Li Weijun, Professor of Environmental Science at Shandong University in Jinan, said: “While the general level of PM2.5 in China is five or six times higher than in the U.S., the amount of trace metals could be 10 or even 20 times higher.” Since 2003, Li and his team have built what is probably the largest data bank of airborne particles in China. He said most of the PM2.5 pollution in Hong Kong could have come from power plants and factories in the Pearl River Delta. Metals or hazardous elements found in China’s air included iron, zinc, copper, magnesium, lithium, nickel, cobalt, arsenic and selenium. With the help of oxygen, zinc can damage the structure of the DNA inside cells. Li said the findings show China is in urgent need of tighter and more effective environmental regulations, the South China Morning Post reports.
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