Pollution from ships and ports targeted
September 11, 2014 Category Environment, Pollution
China should establish emissions inventories for all major port cities as soon as possible to detail pollutants from ships and ports, experts have suggested. These pollutants may account for as much as 20% of the cities’ airborne pollutants. They have also called for the diesel fuel standard for ships to be strengthened to reduce pollution. Ding Yan, Deputy Director of the Environmental Protection Ministry’s vehicle emissions control center, said pollutants generated by ships and the port in Hong Kong contributed more than 50% of the region’s airborne pollution. “The proportion for some major port cities in China can reach as high as 20% to 30%,” Ding said at a seminar of the Natural Resources Defense Council, an international non-profit environmental organization. A white paper from the organization on the prevention and control of shipping and port air emissions said pollutants generated by ships and ports include PM2.5, PM10, nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The white paper said the amount of PM2.5 emitted by a medium-sized container ship in one day is equivalent to that emitted by 500,000 cars running on diesel. It said 70% of the pollutants are discharged within 400 km of coastlines and can reach up to 2,500 km inland. “China is home to seven of the 10 busiest container ports in the world. The country’s major port cities are also some of the most densely populated cities in the world, posing an even higher risk to public health,” David Pettit, Senior Attorney at the Council, said. He recommended that the central government set up a detailed emissions inventory for each major port city, the South China Morning Post reports.
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