Air and Noise Pollution
FoundationVehicle exhaust and power generation pollute the air; traffic and construction make noise. Learn to read the Air Quality Health Index and cut pollution through how we travel and live, protecting ourselves and the environment.
- Vehicle exhaust, power generation and construction dust are the main sources of air pollution.
- The Air Quality Health Index has five bands: low, moderate, high, very high and serious.
- When the index is high, cut vigorous outdoor activity to protect your breathing.
文體小知識：環境科學說明文解釋污染的成因和影響，並教我們查閱指數、保護自己和環境。
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1Main sources of air pollution include exhaust from cars, lorries and ships, power stations burning fossil fuels, and dust raised by construction work. Suspended particulates and other pollutants in exhaust irritate the windpipe, worsen asthma and other respiratory illnesses, and in the long run harm the heart.
2The government runs air monitoring stations across the city and publishes the Air Quality Health Index. The index has five bands: low, moderate, high, very high and serious. When the index is high or above, children and outdoor workers should cut down on outdoor exertion; when it is serious, everyone should stay indoors as far as possible.
3Noise is another kind of pollution. Long exposure above seventy decibels slowly damages hearing, and noise at night disturbs sleep and study. Hong Kong's noise comes mainly from traffic, aircraft taking off and landing, renovation work and loud speakers. Fitting noise barriers and restricting night works are common ways to improve the situation.
4Cutting pollution is everyone's duty: use public transport more, and walk or cycle for short trips; switch off the engine while waiting; keep home speakers and the television at a low volume; avoid noisy activities at night. Watch the daily Air Quality Health Index, cut vigorous outdoor exercise when the index is high, and wear a suitable mask when necessary.
1Summary 重點摘要
Vehicle exhaust and power generation pollute the air; traffic and construction make noise. Learn to read the Air Quality Health Index and cut pollution through how we travel and live, protecting ourselves and the environment.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
Harmful substances mixed into the air, harming health and the environment.
Polluting gases given out by vehicles, ships and factories.
Tiny solid and liquid bits floating in the air, which enter the windpipe and lungs as we breathe.
A government index with five bands — low, moderate, high, very high and serious — showing how air affects health.
Sound that is too loud, annoying and disturbing life and rest.
The unit for measuring loudness; living long above seventy decibels harms hearing.
A tall wall beside roads or railways that blocks traffic noise from reaching homes.
Turning off the engine while parked and waiting, cutting exhaust and fuel waste.
An illness where narrowed airways make breathing hard; air pollution makes it worse.
3Step by step Steps
- Step 1: Know the sources of air pollutionAir pollution in Hong Kong comes from several sources. Lorries and buses send out exhaust on the roads; power stations pour smoke from tall chimneys when burning fuel to make electricity; drilling and demolition at building sites raise clouds of dust. Mixed into the air, these pollutants irritate our eyes and breathing, so knowing the sources is the first step to cutting them. The suspended particulates in pollution are extremely fine; they can enter the windpipe and lungs, and breathing them in for a long time harms health.
- Step 2: Learn to read the Air Quality Health IndexThe Environmental Protection Department publishes the Air Quality Health Index every day, grouped into five bands: low, medium, high, very high and serious. The higher the number, the more air pollution affects health. The night before a hike, ask your parents to check the index on the department's website; when it is high, move vigorous exercise indoors. Reading the index makes planning activities safer. The index can be found on the department's website and mobile app, so checking before going out should become a habit.
- Step 3: Protect yourself when the index is highOn days when the index reaches very high, the air holds more pollutants, and children and elderly people are especially easily affected. Cut outdoor activities and vigorous exercise, stay indoors with the windows closed, and turn on an air purifier if needed. If you feel unwell, for example coughing or a sore throat, tell your teacher or parents at once. Elderly people and those with long-term illness should stay indoors when the index is high, and family members should remind and care for them more.
- Step 4: Travel green to cut exhaustVehicle exhaust is a major source of air pollution, and travelling green is everyone's way to help. For a short three-stop trip, take the MTR or walk instead of a taxi; choose buses and trains with the family; remind drivers to switch off the engine while waiting instead of idling at the roadside. Green travel is both cleaner and healthier. Walking or cycling instead of riding for short trips cuts exhaust and exercises the body at the same time — two gains at once.
- Step 5: Make less noiseNoise is sound that annoys people and disturbs daily life; staying in noise for a long time harms hearing and sleep. After ten o'clock at night, turn the television and speakers down; practise noisy instruments in the daytime, not at night; walk softly indoors and close doors gently. Caring for the neighbours' rest keeps the community quiet and peaceful. Noisy work such as renovation and drumming should be done in permitted daytime hours, with neighbours told in advance.
- Step 6: Watch out and speak upEvery citizen can be a pollution watcher, keeping an eye on air and noise in the community. If you see a vehicle giving off black smoke again and again, or someone playing loud music late at night, tell your parents and report it to the Environmental Protection Department or the department concerned. When people speak up, the government can follow up, and the neighbourhood improves together. State the time, place and situation clearly when reporting, so departments follow up faster and the problem is solved sooner.
4Diagrams Diagrams
5Worked example Example
Example: the night before a school picnic, the news reports that tomorrow's Air Quality Health Index will be very high. The class teacher asks everyone to discuss how to adjust the plan.
- A very high index means air pollution will affect health noticeably, and children should cut down on outdoor exertion.
- Suggest changing the outdoor hike to an indoor activity, such as visiting a museum — safe and still full of learning.
- If we must stay outdoors, avoid running hard and wear a suitable mask when necessary.
- Check the latest index again before setting out, return to the outdoor plan only when it improves, and watch how everyone feels.
- Answer: Change the outdoor hike to an indoor activity; if going out is unavoidable, avoid vigorous exercise, wear a mask when needed, and keep watching the index — tell the teacher early if anyone feels unwell, so everyone stays healthy.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1What are the main sources of air pollution?
Q2What are the five bands of the Air Quality Health Index?
Q3Above how many decibels does long exposure damage hearing?
Q4How can we reduce air pollution?
Q5How can we reduce noise at home at night?
8Recap Recap
- Vehicle exhaust, power generation and construction dust are the main sources of air pollution.
- The Air Quality Health Index has five bands: low, moderate, high, very high and serious.
- When the index is high, cut vigorous outdoor activity to protect your breathing.
- Long exposure above seventy decibels damages hearing.
- Green travel, switching off engines and lowering the volume — everyone can cut pollution.