Beijing Pollution

[roddy]

Holiday periods are often better as there's less traffic on the roads - plenty of people flood into Beijing, but they don't bring their cars. The last couple of days have been really nice - you even see clouds, instead of just one slab of grey.

Outofin - would be interesting to read your impressions of Beijing. It's always weird going 'home' - you expect everything to be the same, but even if nothing has changed, you have, so it's still different. Or something like that.

Roddy

[Outofin]

I'm trying to write something when my memory is still fresh.

On the matter of pollution, according to my observation in the past 3 weeks, Beijing has a cycle of roughly 5 days. The cycle starts with a strong wind, which blows polluted air away. You could enjoy blue and transparent sky. The good day will stay on the 2nd day but turn bad since the 3rd day. On the end of the cycle, the sky is just like Roddy described, "one slab of grey". That's how it is. Pity.

[yuet_sien]

Is Beijing pollution less during winter, or the same?

Does the air purifier helps, Gato?

[roddy]

I just searched Google for 'Beijing pollution index' to try and answer the summer / winter question, and found this useful page

This website can give you day by day pollution data, but I could find any graphs of a years data. If anyone fancies doing some random sampling, click the 每日空气质量查询.

My perception is that winter is less polluted than summer. However, I think that might be because in summer the heat and humidity get bundled in with pollution into my own 'unpleasantness index' (1-3 nice day for a walk, 4-6 no outdoor dining, 7-9 breathe only when necessary) and I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't that much difference.

Roddy

[gato]

Does the air purifier helps, Gato?

It may just be a placebo effect, but I feel as if I can breathe a lot more easily with the purifer on in the room.

[yuet_sien]

Thanks for the reply Roddy and Gato:wink:

I helps this air purifier helps for me. Every time I am in BJ I get sick 感冒。

A friend of mine tells me that people from Europe have a different immune system than the Asian people, so it easier for them to get sick in BJ, especially with this kind of pollution. He said when he lived in Europe, he was never sick, but know living in BJ for almost 5 years, he gets sick from time to time.

[gougou]

Those colds might be due to air conditioning rather than pollution.

The first time I came to China, I was suffering from a cold until I was a bit more careful about air conditioning - no more problems afterwards.

[yuet_sien]

Nop, the first time I came here was end of februari. Got sick several times before summer. But have to tell you, my immune system was always on the low side. Here in BJ it is even worse

[Ian_Lee]

Hong Kong's pollution improved much during the National Day weekend when the factory production in the Pearl River Delta slowed down. Compare HK's sky before and after the Golden Week:

http://hk.news.yahoo.com/051018/12/1hs4l.html

[ironbadger]

From today's Economist:

AN ELABORATE points system that determines the careers of officials is often blamed for many of China's problems. In their drive to meet targets for economic growth, local mandarins squander money, ride roughshod over citizens and ravish the environment. So now China is trying to devise and embed into its assessment of officials a way of calculating a “green GDP”—which allows for environmental costs in national accounts—to help mitigate some of these excesses.

President Hu Jintao first endorsed the idea in March 2004, in a speech about the need to foster a “scientific concept of development”, a slogan intended to suggest that in pursuing growth China should pay more heed to such issues as the environment and the depletion of natural resources. Last February, the government said that ten regions, including Beijing, were carrying out a pilot project in green GDP assessment. Pan Yue, the deputy director of the State Environmental Protection Administration, said a “framework” for a green GDP accounting system could be unfolded within three to five years. This would make China the pioneer of a statistical approach that no other country has adopted—and which many economists around the world eschew as an attempt to quantify the unquantifiable.

The rest of the article complete with a graph of Beijing daily average major pollutants from 1994 onwards is here:

http://www.economist.com/printedition/displaystory.cfm?story_id=5061453

[gato]

Annual fine particle pollution (PM10) still averages above 150 µg/m3 in Beijing according to the Economist chart.

http://www.ecologistasenaccion.org/article.php3?id_article=2484

Average annual fine particle pollution level - particles less than 10 micrometers in size (PM10)

Madrid: 37 µg/m3

Paris: 22 µg/m3

London: 22 µg/m3

http://www.bchealthguide.org/healthfiles/hfile35.stm

What is particulate matter air pollution?

"Particulate matter" air pollution refers to microscopic airborne particles that can travel into your lungs and cause a variety of respiratory problems. These particulates are 10 microns or less in size (about half the width of a human hair) and are found both outdoors and in homes and work places. They are referred to as "PM10" (Particulate Matter 10 microns or less in diameter). Even smaller particles -- less than 2.5 microns in diameter -- which can penetrate even more deeply into the lungs, are called "PM2.5".

What causes this form of pollution?

Any form of combustion will create small particulates, although the most harmful particulates are generated by combustion of organic materials.

Woodsmoke is a major offender in many communities, whether it comes from a beehive burner, slash burning after land-clearing or logging, the burning of agricultural stubble, or a fireplace or woodstove. Diesel-burning vehicles such as buses and trucks are another major source of this pollution. Building incinerators and furnaces can also contribute to airborne particulate levels.

How dangerous are small particulates?

Scientific research has shown that increased levels of this small particulate are responsible for a marked increase in Emergency Room visits, hospitalizations, and days lost from school and work.

This type of air pollution has been closely linked to aggravation of existing heart and lung conditions and even increased death rates. Children and senior citizens are most vulnerable -- a recent study estimated that small particle pollution is responsible for many thousands of premature deaths annually in the United States. Studies of small particulate air pollution also indicate a significant increase in the population death rate in areas suffering prolonged exposure to this type of pollution.

[stephanhodges]

What are the projections for the Olympics, then? How good/bad/improved will it be? There's going to be a lot of international coverage, and it's sure to be a "favorite" topic of some nations reporters.

[gato]

Both Tianjin and Beijing's pollution indices surpassed 300 on Friday Nov 4, a grade of 5 on the scale of 1-5, with 5 being the worst.

http://www.zhb.gov.cn/english/air-list.php3?offset=0

Air Quality Daily Report for 84 Major Cities In China

Date: 2005-11-04

Beijing 2005-11-04 330 PM10 5

Tianjin 2005-11-04 340 PM10 5

Shijiazhuang 2005-11-04 238 PM10 4A

Harbin 2005-11-04 122 PM10 3A

Shanghai 2005-11-04 94 PM10 2

Nanjing 2005-11-04 195 PM10 3B

http://www.zhb.gov.cn/english/airqualityinfo.htm

Table Two: API and air quality grading

>300

Heavy polluted 5

The exercise endurance of the healthy people drops down, some appears strong symptoms remarkably. Some diseases appear earlier.

The aged and patients should stay indoors and avoid strength draining; the ordinary should avoid outdoor activities.

[gato]

What are the projections for the Olympics, then? How good/bad/improved will it be? There's going to be a lot of international coverage, and it's sure to be a "favorite" topic of some nations reporters.

The government probably will do something like banning the use of most private automobiles from a week before the Olympics until just after to "solve" the pollution problem. Otherwise, I would fear for the health of the athletes, and the country will have an "image problem."

[bhchao]

The government probably will do something like banning the use of most private automobiles from a week before the Olympics until just after to "solve" the pollution problem.

But you still got the dust storms, which is beyond the government's control.

[gato]

The dust storm season is in March-April.

[wushijiao]

Beijing is at 472 today.

http://www.zhb.gov.cn/english/air-list.php3?offset=0

What is that like for people living there? If you look out your window, can you see the building next to you?

[gato]

It's been foggy and dark outside since this morning. Visibility is at about 100 meters.

[bhchao]

Look at the dust storm that swept across Seoul from the Gobi during the weekend. Breathing conditions are made even worse when the dust carries industrial pollutants.

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200604/200604100009.html

[Ferno]

When you return home' date=' you'll be with a stronger immune system and tougher stomach.

[/quote']

you know, hurting yourself doesn't actually make you stronger