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Ernest Kao

Harbour views are in great demand when it comes to property listings.
But for residents of Kwai Chung's Kwai Shing West Estate, a stone's throw from the Kwai Tsing container terminal, the last few decades seem more of a health curse than a real-estate blessing. Just ask Yuen Chi-chung and his family.
Since the family moved to a flat facing the terminal a few months ago, the 11-year-old Yuen has suffered more asthma attacks than in the past.
"Air pollution is pretty bad much of the time during winter. I need to use my inhaler four times a week now," Yuen said.
His mother, Mrs Yuen, says nothing can be done. The flat gets stuffy with the window closed. An air purifier is too expensive.
While the good news for them is that cargo vessel numbers are going down, the rise in cruise shipping isn't helping. At least 2,840 ocean-going passenger ships visited in 2013, up 17.5 per cent from the year before.
"The health threat is much bigger as cruise ships tend to berth for a much longer time than container ships," said Clean Air Network chief executive Kwong Sum-yin.
Cargo and passenger marine vessels are the biggest source of toxic sulphur dioxide (SO2) in the city. Although the government recently announced a drop in SO2 pollution last year, there were still 148 instances where SO2 concentration levels exceeded those set by the World Health Organisation.
Due to their closer proximity to urban residents, Dr Tian Linwei of the University of Hong Kong School of Public Health said the toxicity of marine bunker fuel emissions could be more harmful than those of power plants.
"It has the dirtiest make-up consisting of impurities and heavy metals such as nickel and palladium," he said. Frequent exposure could increase the chance of heart attacks, strokes and asthma attacks. Long-term effects include lung cancer.
Kwong called on the government to speed up legislation that will require all ocean-going vessels, which produce 40 per cent of all marine emissions, to switch to cleaner diesel.
The government has pledged to introduce the measure to the Legislative Council within the year.


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Hong Kong

For residents of Kwai Chung's Kwai Shing West Estate, a stone's throw from the Kwai Tsing container terminal, the last few decades seem more of a health curse than a real-estate blessing. 
