[nanzbier]

thinking of getting an air purifier. i know that iq air has dominated the market and that it is very expensive. has anyone heard of the hepa filter+ UV light air cleaners? There is one called TRACS from Pyramid. Anyone have any experience with this?

[Ali71]

In my pollution shock I bought an IQair - very expensive and it just seems to filter down to minute particles size - the salesman had a handheld pollution meter which showed the amount of minute particles in the air really decreased with it on, however I don't know whether the particles are pollution, dust, or humidity. I think the air is cleaner in the apartment with it but then I find the aircon helps too. I don't know whether a HEPA filter will work as the particular pollution in the air from China is a special type - not like allergens (pollen) which are filtered by HEPA. So I don't know. I find there is very little information available on the pollution and levels etc. There is no measurement for the Southside and given the government officials claim the pollution is getting better they are obviously not going to divulge more information.
I haven't found anything on the web either that is objective about air purifiers and pollution. Please post if you know any more.
I am relieved that the pollution is not normally this bad and some of it is haze but it does make me want to leave sooner.
I think it will ultimately affect Hong Kong's prosperity.

[aussiegal]

I agree with you Ali71, the pollution will definitly affect HK's prosperity. With no natural resources to sell the only thing going for HK is that it has made itself into a financial hub. This is already changing however with Singapore getting it's act together and attracting the same people that HK used to attract before the pollution got this bad. HK will be nothing without its expats and foreign workers.

[lantau35]

I couldn't agree more. It's really terrible. We're considering leaving Hong Kong now as a result - I have developed mild asthma myself and now we have a little one on the way in Feb, it's a real concern. I just received a job offer from Dubai and went there to check it out last week - although it's still hot there of course (the end of the summer) the air felt so fresh in comparison to HK. I felt so much better within hours of getting there.

I lived in London for 10 years and was in Tokyo for a number of years too, so it's not like I'm comparing the pollution here to a rural area. The HK government really need to get off their arses and make and then implement some serious measures to help. Simply watching the HK Observatory list air pollution as "Very High" day after day (and we know their standard is lower than the rest of the world anyway) just won't cut it anymore!

[Neha]

I agree that Pollution is very bad here. My husband has lived here for 14 years and developped Asthma due to pollution, But to say that HK is nothing without expats and foreign workers is a bit insensitive to the local Chinese population. I am not Chinese and I am a foreigner living here, But status of HK as a financial hub and its closeness to Mainland will always be beneficial to HK. I am sure the pollution levels has effected a lot people decison to migrate from here but still I think there a lot more people coming to HK also

[aussiegal]

Neha, I have to politely disagree. HK cannot be an international financial centre without foreigners. If the majority of foreign professionals move to Singapore, (as an example), HK will be unable to compete - with or without the mainland pulling it along. For any major city to be considered a financial and international hub it must attract foreign workers. London does, New York does, Dubai does, Hong Kong currently does. This is not a slight on Hong Kong or the locals, it's just reality. Dubai wasn't the mammoth economy it currently is when only locals lived there.

[Neha]

I agree with u that u need foreign talent in the city, But my point is u feel that pollution is a hindrance to foreign talent coming to HK, but there a lot of foreigners coming here inspite of the pollution. What I am trying to say is that money is huge incentive for people ( huge expats salaries packages) to forget aboutthe pollution for a coupleof years .To be a succesfull financial centre u need money which HK has abundant of. HSI has gone up more than 15% ina month whereas STI alot less.

I am sure there alot of foreigners who are packing their packs moving their families out of HK due to the pollution but there a lot more trying to move into HK and get a piece of China. China in the next 30-40 years will be the worlds largest economy.

[AndreaY]

I am not sure whether it's just miscommunication but the comment of "HK will be nothing without its expats and foreign workers" is a little grating and insulting to my ears. Let's be honest, it has always been a case of expats and foreign workers being attracted to HK cos of the excellent pay package and low tax, not that HK needs expats and foreign workers and cannot function without them. There are plenty of Chinese who are educated abroad with exactly the same/higher qualification as the expats you mentioned. It'd be great if the air can get cleaner and pollution may deter some expats from coming to HK and but their absence will not tumble HK as have been suggested in this thread. Also, even from this site alone, it seems lots of aussies are still coming to HK despite the pollution and there is no mass exodus as is portrayed.