Water and air quality in Hong Kong have not been affected by the firing of tear gas at protests that have plagued the city for nearly five months, a government minister has said amid growing concern over its health impact.
Thousands of tear gas canisters have been fired by police since the protests erupted in the summer, which were ignited by the now-withdrawn extradition bill but have developed into a wider anti-government movement. Chan said the chemicals in tear gas had a limited diffusion range. She also said the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department had issued guidelines for cleaners on handling affected areas, including wet markets.
Writing in The Lancet article published last week, the medical team led by Professor Emily Chan Ying-Yang, of Chinese University, said one of the main public health controversies was the “apparent absence of government-led decontamination efforts and the absence of official guidelines and self-help advice on health protection against the side-effects of tear gas”.
Citing a published systematic review of 5,910 people exposed to chemical irritants, the team said two had reportedly died and there were cases of permanent disabilities including blindness, vegetative state from traumatic brain injury, amputations and loss of limb function, as well as persistent respiratory complaints, among 58 others.
Meanwhile, health minister Chan said, with the flu peak season approaching, the government would still urge the public to wear masks as a preventive measure, despite the anti-mask law, which came into force earlier this month and banned the covering of faces during public assemblies.