Clean Air Schools for Hong Kong by Clean Air Network : Establishing healthy school environment with real-time air quality data
25% of primary schools are located within 150m of highways with busy traffic in Hong Kong. Also, as per a recent study by HKUST and HKU, Sham Shui Po and Tuen Mun have high levels of concentrations of PM (particulate matter) and NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) in a population weighted average. It is a threat to the health of children.
We are proud to announce the launch of Clean Air Schools for Hong Kong (CASHK) project in partnership with the Institute for the Environment of HKUST. The inauguration ceremony held on 28 October, marks the beginning of a move, towards the direction of cleaner air in schools, for the wellbeing of all children.
‘Children are most vulnerable among all of the age groups. Their lungs are developing, but they have to be exposed to air pollutants throughout the day, from the time of commuting from their homes to even inside the school campuses and the classrooms. Therefore, children are chosen to be the target of the CASHK project.’ Melville Peter Pradhan, the Project Manager of the CASHK project,said.
‘The present air monitoring system has limitations. I hope we can help the communities and schools to solve the problem by collecting more data about the air.’ Dr. Zhi Ning, Associate Professor of Division of Environment and Sustainability, HKUST, said.
Clean Air Schools for Hong Kong(CASHK) aims at monitoring outdoor and indoor air quality in 8 primary schools of Sham Shui Po and Tuen Mun for 15 months, providing a real-time Community level Air Quality Health Index(AQHI), which will help the schools to adopt precautionary measures and protect students from the harms of air pollution.
In addition to air quality monitoring, the project will be communicating data to the schools and the community through Clean Air Schools mobile app and LED panels installed in schools. Simple interpretation of data will be conducted in the form of periodic reports which will also be sent to the participating schools.Through data interpretation and knowledge building, the project aims to assist schools with simple clean air actions which the schools can adopt in order to improve the indoor air quality and reduce exposure to the outdoor air quality.
The project is funded by ZeShan Foundation. The participatory schools are: S.K.H. St. Andrew’s Primary School, St. Francis of Assisi’s English Primary School, Society of Boys’ Centres Chak Yan Centre School, Chan’s Creative School, Yan Chai Hospital Law Chan Chor Si Primary School, A.D.& F.D. of Pok Oi Hospital Mrs. Cheng Yam On Millennium School, Lui Cheung Kwong Lutheran Primary School.
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