Pollution Monitoring and Sustainability
FoundationWe monitor air, water and noise pollution with indexes and instruments, use science and technology to cut pollution, and live sustainably with the 4Rs to keep ecosystems safe.
- Pollution comes as air, water, noise and waste.
- Monitoring relies on data: indexes, instruments and decibel meters.
- The higher the air quality health index, the greater the risk.
文體小知識：說明文用數據和方法說話。這一篇教你怎樣監測污染，以及怎樣用可持續的方式愛護地球。
§Text Passage
1One Saturday morning, Wing plans to go hiking and first checks the Environmental Protection Department website: the Air Quality Health Index reads 3, in the Low band, so outdoor exercise is safe. Updated daily, the index spells out the health risk of air pollution — a great helper for monitoring pollution in the city.
2Pollution falls into several kinds: air, water, noise and waste. To monitor air, stations measure the concentration of pollutants such as suspended particulates and nitrogen dioxide; to monitor water, scientists measure dissolved oxygen and acidity in rivers and seas and observe water life; to monitor noise, a decibel meter measures how loud sounds are.
3Science and technology also fight pollution: power stations install emission-reduction devices; sewage treatment works purify waste water before it returns to the sea; noise barriers stand beside roads; electric vehicles replace diesel ones so the air is cleaner; wind and solar power generate electricity without exhaust gases.
4A longer-term idea is sustainable development: meeting our needs today without harming the ability of future generations to meet theirs. Earth's resources are not endless; if air, water and land are polluted and damaged, ecosystems fall out of balance and both wildlife and people suffer. Development and conservation must go hand in hand.
5We can live sustainably by following the 4Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Replace. Bring your own shopping bag instead of plastic ones; sort waste paper and bottles for recycling; use energy-saving bulbs instead of old filament ones; send e-cards instead of paper cards.
6Monitoring makes pollution visible, science and technology offer solutions, and sustainable living depends on each of us. From today, watch the Air Quality Health Index and sort your recycling, so Hong Kong's sky stays bluer, its sea cleaner and its ecosystems safer.
1Summary 重點摘要
We monitor air, water and noise pollution with indexes and instruments, use science and technology to cut pollution, and live sustainably with the 4Rs to keep ecosystems safe.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
Harmful substances entering air, water or land, damaging the environment and health.
Measuring and recording regularly over time to track changes in the environment.
An index showing the health risk of air pollution, in bands from Low to Serious.
Tiny dust particles floating in the air; breathing too many harms the lungs.
Oxygen dissolved in water; plenty of it means good water where fish can live.
An instrument measuring how loud sounds are, used to monitor noise.
Development that meets today's needs without stealing from future generations.
The system where living things and the environment depend on each other; pollution breaks the balance.
Energy such as solar and wind power that never runs out, replacing polluting fuels.
Sorting waste paper and bottles so they can be made into new things.
3Step by step Steps
- Step 1: Know the kinds and sources of pollutionThere are four common kinds of pollution. Air pollution comes from vehicle exhaust, power generation and factories; water pollution from sewage, litter and oil; noise pollution from traffic, construction and aircraft; solid waste is the huge pile of rubbish thrown away daily. Pollution makes people ill, robs wildlife of homes and spoils nature. To fight pollution, the first step is knowing where it comes from, and the second is measuring how serious it is.
- Step 2: Learn how air pollution is monitoredThe Environmental Protection Department runs air monitoring stations across Hong Kong. Instruments keep measuring the concentration of pollutants such as suspended particulates, nitrogen dioxide and ozone, and the data is turned into the Air Quality Health Index. Index 1 to 3 is Low, 4 to 6 Medium, 7 High, 8 to 10 Very High, and above 10 Serious. The higher the index, the greater the health risk, and we can decide from the data whether outdoor exercise is suitable or a mask is needed.
- Step 3: See how water quality is monitoredWater can be monitored in several ways: instruments test the dissolved oxygen and acidity of the water — enough dissolved oxygen lets fish and shrimps survive; we can also observe the kinds and numbers of living things in the water, because cleaner water hosts more life; water can be tested in laboratories for bacteria such as E. coli. Environmental officers take samples from rivers and seas regularly, tracking changes and tracing the source whenever something goes wrong.
- Step 4: Know how noise is monitoredLoudness is measured in decibels, and a decibel meter is the tool for monitoring noise. A quiet library is about 40 decibels, a busy road about 80, and a taking-off plane can top 100. Living in high-decibel surroundings for long harms hearing and easily makes people irritable and sleepless. The government sets up noise monitoring stations in busy districts, and the data guides the building of noise barriers and the control of construction hours.
- Step 5: How science and technology answer environmental problemsTechnology is a powerful helper against pollution. Power stations fit emission-reduction devices to slash exhaust gases; sewage treatment works purify waste water by settling and filtering; noise barriers and low-noise road surfaces cut traffic noise; electric vehicles give off no exhaust; renewable energy such as wind and solar generates electricity with almost zero emissions. Behind all these methods lies scientific research — science and environmental protection are closely linked.
- Step 6: Practise sustainable development and the 4RsSustainable development means meeting today's needs without robbing future generations. We can start with the 4Rs: Reduce, such as using fewer disposable utensils; Reuse, such as carrying our own water bottle; Recycle, such as sorting waste paper, cans and plastic bottles; Replace, such as using energy-saving bulbs instead of filament ones. When everyone does their part, the air is fresher, the sea cleaner, and ecosystems can stay safe for a long, long time.
5Worked example Example
Example: On Saturday morning, Wing wants to go hiking and sees the Air Quality Health Index at 8 (Very High); by afternoon it falls to 3 (Low). How should she plan her activities? What can she do regularly to help improve the air?
- First read the index: 8 is Very High, meaning a greater health risk; hard outdoor exercise means breathing in more pollutants.
- So in the morning she should switch to indoor activities or postpone the hike; if she must go out, wear a mask and avoid strenuous exercise.
- In the afternoon the index falls to 3, the Low band, the air is fresh, and hiking and outdoor sports are safe.
- To help the air every day: take public transport or walk, save electricity, never burn rubbish, and support renewable energy.
- Using monitoring data to plan activities, plus personal actions to cut pollution, protects both herself and the environment.
- Answer: An index of 8 is Very High with a large health risk, so Wing should avoid hard outdoor exercise in the morning, choose indoor activities or postpone the hike, and wear a mask if going out; an index of 3 in the afternoon means fresh air, suitable for hiking. Every day she can take public transport, save electricity, never burn rubbish and support green technology, cutting air pollution to protect her own and her community's health.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1Which unit measures how loud noise is?
Q2Which readings of the air quality health index count as Low?
Q3In water monitoring, which high reading means better water?
Q4What does sustainable development mean?
Q5What are the four 4R green principles?
8Recap Recap
- Pollution comes as air, water, noise and waste.
- Monitoring relies on data: indexes, instruments and decibel meters.
- The higher the air quality health index, the greater the risk.
- Technology helps: emission controls, sewage treatment, renewable energy.
- Sustainable living starts with the 4Rs — everyone's duty.