Improving air quality through cutting-edge research

Abstract

On the premise that ozone, nitrogen oxides and fine particulates being major air pollutants, the team has conducted coordinated laboratory, field and numerical studies on the cause and control of air pollution over the past years. Their scientific achievements are multifaceted, in particular the discovery of the important roles halogen atoms play in air quality in polluted regions, the new source and production pathway of organic particulate matters, the impact of outdoor and indoor air pollution on human health, and the complex responses of secondary air pollutants to emission controls. Based on the above findings, the team has recommended additional measures to mitigate winter haze in northern China and photochemical smog in southern China. Technologies have been developed and applied to remove roadside air pollutants in Hong Kong. The research findings have also been disseminated to media outlets to raise public awareness of the importance of academic research in combatting the challenges posed by current air pollution trends.