HK Pollution At Record Levels - Air Unhealthy During 10% Of First 6 Months Of 2010 - Reuters

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(Reuters) - Roadside air pollution in Hong Kong hit record highs in the first six months of the year, hurting public health and economic competitiveness compared with Asian rivals, activists and lawmakers said Tuesday. The city's air quality hit "unhealthy" levels about 10 percent of the time between January and June, the highest level in five years, said environmental group Friends of the Earth.

The government advises people with heart or respiratory problems to avoid lingering in traffic-heavy places when the air pollution index goes into "unhealthy" territory. "Think of the health cost and also the disincentives to tourists and to people investing and setting up companies in Hong Kong," said legislator Audrey Eu who joined green activists in unfurling a big black banner over a roadside monitoring station at the heart of Hong Kong's Central financial district.

Health experts estimate poor air has cost the city HK$1.18 billion (US$151 million) in healthcare bills and lost productivity, along with 3.8 million visits to the doctor, this year.

"The bad air and pollution is actually giving Hong Kong a bad name and deterring people from coming," added Eu, who was among a coalition of lawmakers urging the government to do much more to resolve the problem including accelerating the phasing out of diesel buses and imposing stiffer fines. Hong Kong's air pollution soared off the charts to unprecedented highs in March when sandstorms from northern China cloaked the city in dust.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE68719M20100908