Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

Indoor air quality is perhaps more important to many of us than outdoor air. Studies show that we spend 70% of our lives in an indoor environment - at work, at home, when socialising with friends or at play. While it is a controlled environment indoors, it may not necessarily be better in terms of air quality. The provision of quality indoor air requires both sound understanding of the subject and professional care.

At EMSD, we have taken a pioneering role in this area, leading the way in establishing Indoor Air Quality objectives from the mid 80s. These tests were conducted on a voluntary basis well before the introduction of legislation and established standards. In Hong Kong where there is a high incidence of respiratory diseases and where we are cocooned in air-conditioning for much of the year, clean air can make a crucial difference to the state of our health and the quality of our lives. A team was set up in 1994 and consisted of 12 staff, have worked to this end, measuring indoor air-quality in government and public buildings under EMSD? care. In 1999, this team was regionalised in line with our Trading Fund activities, enabling them to provide more immediate and responsive services to our customers and to cope with the upcoming IAQ certification trial scheme in which the government is taking the lead.

Currently, we carry out measurements in about 700 government buildings and over 9,000 sampling points, at least once every two years, and annually whenever possible. Tests are carried out in four main areas, looking at levels of carbon dioxide, radon, respirable suspended particles and airborne bacteria. Results depend on a number of factors that are often as simple as the number of people in the area concerned, the plants in the vicinity, the blockage of air-vents to the dustiness of the curtains and carpets. Generally results fail to comply with specified standards in just one or two areas, which often can be rectified by simple housekeeping - better cleaning to reduce dust, unblocking of air vents etc. However if the problem is shown to be within the air-conditioning system itself we make a series of recommendations to rectify the situation. These normally range from the cleaning of air ducts, the improvement of filtration systems, adjustments to the rate of air flow and fresh air intake to outright modification of the system.

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Air Quality Management

Apart from buildings we also participate in improving the quality of air at public transport interchanges such as bus and minibus terminals.

With the formation of the IAQ Management Group under the former Planning, Environment and Lands Bureau (PELB) and now the Environment and Food Bureau (EFB), we have been actively involved in contributing to the formulation of IAQ standards and their implementation. In June 1999, an IAQ Working Group was established within EMSD. This not only enhances overall IAQ measuring techniques and technology advancement but also facilitates the sharing of our experiences on measurement and improvement work in existing air-conditioning installations.

Clean Air for Border Kiosks