Speaker
Prof. Chak K. CHAN
Dean and Chair Professor
School of Energy and Environment
City University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Abstract
The rapid urbanization and industrial development in the Pearl River Delta in China has led to aggravating air pollution problems throughout the region. In Hong Kong, the number of low-visibility (<8km) days has continuously increased since the 1980s and has seen a dramatic rise since the early 2000s. Particulate matter (PM) has been recognized as a major factor in Hong Kong’s urban air quality, affecting visibility and human health. Studies on PM in Hong Kong have been traditionally based on filter sampling and off-line analysis. Recently, the HKUST Air Quality Research Supersite was established to focus on real time characterization of PM. In this talk, we will give an overview of air quality in Hong Kong and the Supersite, followed by a discussion of the first real time chemical characterization measurements using an Aerodyne High Resolution – Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (HR-AMS) in Hong Kong.
Biography
Professor Chan obtained BSc in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 1986 and PhD in Chemical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology in 1992. He is currently Dean and Chair Professor in School of Energy and Environment at City University of Hong Kong. He joined the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) as Assistant Professor in 1992 and rose to the rank of Professor in 2006. In 2010, he was appointed Founding Head of Division of Environment. He was Professor of Division of Environment and Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at HKUST.
Professor Chan has over 25 years of research experience in air pollution and aerosol science. He specializes in aerosol water uptake and phase transformation, gas-aerosol interactions and the formation of secondary aerosols in the atmosphere, as well as laser spectroscopy of aerosols. Professor Chan received Haagen Smit Award of Atmospheric Environment in 2015, Second Prize of the State Natural Science Award in 2010, and First Prize of the Natural Science Award in 2007. He was the first winner of the Asian Young Aerosol Scientists Award. He was Science Advisor to Secretary of Environment, during his sabbatical at the HKSAR Environment Bureau in 2014. He has been an Editor-in-Chief of the journal Atmospheric Environment since 2008.