title: Health impact assessment of marine emissions in Pearl River Delta region.
abstract: Global marine vessels emissions are adversely affecting human health particularly in southeast Asia. But health burdens from both ocean- and river-going vessels in Pearl River Delta (PRD) regions are not quantified. We estimated the potential health impacts using pooled relative risks of mortality and hospital admissions in China, and the model derived concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO₂), particulate matter (PM₁₀), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and ozone (O₃) due to vessels emissions. SO₂ concentrations due to marine emissions in Hong Kong were 13.6 μg m⁻³ compared with 0.7 μg m⁻³ in PRD regions that were far from the marine vessels. In PRD regions, the estimated annual numbers (per million people) of excess deaths from all natural causes and hospital admissions from cardiorespiratory causes attributable to SO₂, NO₂, O₃ and PM₁₀ combined from marine emissions were 45 and 265 respectively. Marine emission control measures could contribute a large reduction in mortality and hospital admissions in PRD regions especially in Hong Kong.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chau
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: McGhee
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Hedley
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002681:China; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D062489:Health Impact Assessment; D006801:Humans; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D010126:Ozone / Q000032:analysis; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis; D045483:Rivers; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide; D010126:Ozone; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide