Bulletin Number Two 1984

respiratory diseases). Environmental education can start as early as at the primary geography and social studies syllabi. I f people become better informed o f the hazards o f environmental pollution, they w ill be less w illing to tolerate a polluting environment. Thirdly, more systematic research on environ mental pollution and protection should be carried out in Hong Kong. Currently, we lack precise information on the effects o f various types o f pollution in Hong Kong. Findings from research carried out elsewhere obviously cannot be applied to the local scenewithout any modifications. For instance, we need accurate data to answer such questions as: How much pollution is there? What are their respective long-term and short- term effects on human health and properties? Is people's environmental perception changing? In what ways? What coping mechanisms are being utilized to deal w ith polluted environments? What price is people w illing to pay in exchange for a less polluting environment? These are some o f the questions that could be explored by natural and behavioral scientists through systematic research. Such projects could be undertaken by the Government or in conjunction w ith academic institutions. I f the Government is serious about environmental protection, they should give it a high priority in governmental expenditure. What research have y o u carried o u t in the area o f environm ental studies o r the u tiliz a tio n o f wastes? S. Donnan & T.C. Tan: In the Department o f Community Medicine, the majority o f our research at present relates to aspects o f occupational health, which focuses on the tension between economic development and health. Our interests and current research relate more to pollution and other problems w ithin the work-places than to pollution outside the work-places. We are involved in assessing air and noise pollution inside many factories in Hong Kong, both small and large, and also in assessing general effects o f working conditions on both workers and their children. One o f our major research projects is a health and environ mental surveillance programme in a large factory, which we hope w ill help to establish a model for cooperation between management, workers, and occupational physicians and hygienists in Hong Kong. L.S. Chuang: Our studies are measurements o f the trace elemental level o f human head hair samples taken from eleven Chinese residents o f Hong Kong and o f air particulates in various parts o f Hong Kong, carried out a few years ago. (It has been demonstrated that tissue or substrate, such as hair, may serve as a fairly reliable indicator o f contamination o f man by the corresponding pollutants, if good controls o f the measurements could be achieved.) In our studies, absolute neutron activation analysis and Ge(Li) gamma-ray spectrometry were applied in the determination o f the trace elemental level. In the first study, the amount o f 2.77 ppm mercury shown in the result o f Hong Kong human head hair, as compared w ith all the other samples o f various national, socio-cultural and environmental background, indicates too high a concentration o f mercury contamination o f the environment. There is clearly a need for concern towards the problem o f environmental pollution o f the local community if the provident highest acceptable lim it for mercury in fish, issued in U.S.A. and Canada in 1970, o f 0.5 ppm is taken as a reference. In the second study, it was found that all average concentrations o f trace elements o f air particulates in residential areas are lower than those in industrial areas and heavy-traffic areas. High average concentrations o f cobalt, chromium, manganese and zinc are found in industrial areas, a high average concentration o f bromine is found in heavy-traffic areas. Comparing the air pollution level o f Hong Kong w ith that o f other cities, such as East Chicago, New York, Toronto and Santiago, it is found that the concentrations o f bromine, cobalt, chromium and zinc are rather high in Hong Kong. The concentration o f mercury o f air particulates in Hong Kong is noticeably higher than in other cities. This is in consistency w ith the result found from the hair samples taken from the residents o f Hong Kong. S.T. Chang: Wastes are resources which are out o f place and their proper management and utilization would lead to further economic benefit. Our research involves converting wastes through microbial activities into food protein and at the same time reducing the pro­ blem o f waste disposal and minimizing environmental