Hong Kong's Filthy Air Boosting Bronchitis Rates For City's Elderly -Reuters

[hatrack]

HONG KONG - Hong Kong's air pollution is causing higher hospitalisation of elderly patients with chronic bronchitis, an academic study has found, and experts on Tuesday called for urgent improvements in the city's air quality. The study by the Chinese University in Hong Kong is the latest to link the city's worsening air quality to public health.
Frequent bad-haze days now cloak views of Hong Kong's harbour, damaging public health.

The study found a correlation between air pollution and hospital admissions for people over 70 years old suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) otherwise known as chronic bronchitis. For every 10 micrograms per cubic metre increase in polluting microscopic particulates known as PM 2.5, there was a 3.1 percent rise in the hospitalisation rate for elderly patients.

Significant associations were also found between hospital admissions and other air pollutants like nitrogen dioxides, sulphur dioxide and especially ozone.

"With better air quality, perhaps we can decrease the morbidity of the elderly population, or at least the morbidity of COPD patients," said Fanny Ko, a specialist in respiratory medicine at the Chinese University, who called for urgent government action to clean up the city's choked skies.

EDIT

http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/40707/story.htm

[MADem]

1. HK has stunk for years. Too many cars in a tiny area. It's like LA...terribly polluted. NT