It is commonly known that air pollution can cause chronic respiratory diseases. A study conducted by PolyU researchers further found links between haze and the risk of death for people with mental and behavioural disorders.
Hazy days are usually dry days with low winds where pollutants gather in the air, resulting in visibility below 5,000 metres. During the period 2007-2014, there were a total of 11,365 deaths on the 111 haze days recorded by the Hong Kong Observatory. Researchers examined the causes of death on hazy days and found that the mortality risk of those with mental health problems rises to 16.4% on the first day of hazy weather and 26.5% on the second day when compared to a normal clear day.
Published in the journal Environmental International, the research suggested that people usually feel depressed on gloomy days and that haze is likely to exert psychological stress on and trigger depression in the population. The research findings can be used for the development of health warning protocols/systems. Details>>