Department of Chemical Engineering

Institute for Environment and Sustainable Development

Sponsored by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust

MAP is a mobile, state-of-the-art air pollution monitoring platform designed for continuous measurement while in motion. It provides high quality, high intensity data in places such as tunnels and bus depots that are difficult to access. This powerful tool will greatly facilitate the mapping of air pollutant concentrations in Hong Kong, contributing to the improvement of our environment.

MAP provides an ideal demonstration platform, and will tour secondary schools to promote science education and environmental awareness. A summer traineeship program will later be developed for selected high school students.

The MAP consists of the following items:

• Euro III gasoline-powered 24-seater van.

• Electric Low Pressure Impactor, TSI, USA - particle size distribution in 12 cuts, 20 - 0.03 um range.

• FTIR (IMACC, TX, USA) for volatile organic compounds (VOC) analysis.

• SO₂, NOx, O₃, and CO analyzers, API, Inc., CA, USA.

• Elemental Carbon Analyzer, Magee Scientific, CA, USA.

• GPS (global positioning system), Garmin, GPS25-HVS.

• Automatic weather station, R.M. Young and Campbell Scientific.

• Fourier Transform Infra Red Analyzer, B-ZME16-C, IMACC- to measure volatile organic compounds (VOC)

• Elemental Carbon Analyzer, AE-16, Magee Scientific

• SO₂ Analyzer, 100A, API

• NO_x Analyzer, 200A, API

• O₃ Analyzer, 400A, API

• CO Analyzer, 300E, API

• Electrical Low Pressure Impactor (ELPI), 3935-10, TSI

• Automatic Weather Station (AWS)

• Global Position System (GPS)

Below, total mass of particles smaller than 2.5um measured in a test run.  Data is uncalibrated.

Below, NO to NO₂ ratio near Tseung Kwan O Tunnel

• High intensity and quality air monitoring

• Emission source tracking

• Indoor air quality measurement

• Large-scale environmental investigation

• Episodic studies

• Cross border collaboration

• Education

In recent years, China has experienced sustained rapid economic growth in conjunction with continuous expansion of the cities; major cities and their surrounding regions are being polluted. Controlling and solving air pollution has become an urgent task for the nation. In addition, in the just announced Northwest development initiative, environmental protection is of critical national interest. MAP, with its air pollutant mapping capability, is especially suited for the large-scale monitoring of the environment. We are planning a scientific expedition, whose preliminary route is as follows, based on the technological advantages of MAP, to continuously measure the air pollutants from Hong Kong to Beijing. We also plan to conduct joint scientific investigations with institutions and agencies in cities along the route to study the environment in details. The platform will be open to the public to promote scientific interest and environmental awareness among the students and citizens.

Angle view of the vehicle, taken (from left) in HKUST campus and Siu Sai Wan, Chai Wan		Interior, equipped with advanced instrument and techology
Brief high school teachers in seminar on School Outreach Program, co-organized with Education Department, HKSAR	Crew members of MAP illustrate to students from secondary schools

Data screen onboard MAP, a snapshot captured from the data server, when it is operating. The color track on the map at right of the screen is the route MAP has run.  Color intensity of the track is relative concentration of a certain pollutant indicated by the yellow box checked on top left corner of the screen. At bottom of the screen is displayed meteorological information and exact location of the vehicle as delivered by, respectively, AWS and GPS.

Plots of PM2.5, particulate matters of size smaller than 2.5 microns, inside three local tunnels, namely, from top, Tai Lam Tunnel, Eastern Harbour Crossing, and Western Harbour Crossing, on 11 June, 22 July, and 22 July 2002 respectively.  Vertical axis is concentration in ug/m3.  Left end of the horizontal axis is entrance of the tunnel and right end exit of the tunnel.