Air Pollution Still an Issue in Beijing

Monday, July 28, 2008

• E-Mail
• Print
• Share:
•
•
•
•
•
The Chinese capital was shrouded in thick gray smog on Sunday, just 12 days before the opening
ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games. One expert warned that drastic measures enacted to cut
vehicle and factory emissions in the city were no guarantee skies would be clear during
competitions.

The pollution was among the worst seen in Beijing in the past month, despite traffic restrictions enacted a
week ago that removed half of the city's vehicles from roadways.

Visibility was a half mile in some places. During the opening ceremony of the Athletes' Village on Sunday,
the housing complex was invisible from the nearby main Olympic Green.

"No, it doesn't really look so good, but as I said, yesterday was better," said Gunilla Lindberg, an
International Olympic Committee vice president from Sweden who is staying in the Athletes' Village. "The
day I arrived, Tuesday, was awful."

"We try to be hopeful. Hopefully we are lucky during the games as we were with Atlanta, Athens and
Barcelona," she added.

The city's notoriously polluted air is one of the biggest questions hanging over the games, which begin on
Aug. 8. On Sunday, temperatures of about 90 degrees, with 70 percent humidity and low winds, created a
soupy mix of harmful chemicals, particulate matter and water vapor.

Athletes have been trickling into Beijing and were expected to begin arriving in large numbers this week
— though some were headed to South Korea, Japan and other places to avoid Beijing's air for as long as
possible. Some Olympic delegations, including the U.S. Olympic Committee, are making protective masks
available to their athletes.

The Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau said Sunday's air was "unhealthy for sensitive
groups."
Definition of air pollution
Air pollution occurs when the air contains gases, dust, fumes or odour in harmful amounts.
That is, amounts which could be harmful to the health or comfort of humans and animals or
which could cause damage to plants and materials.

The substances that cause air pollution are called pollutants. Pollutants that are pumped into
our atmosphere and directly pollute the air are called primary pollutants. Primary pollutant
examples include carbon monoxide from car exhausts and sulfur dioxide from the combustion
of coal.

Further pollution can arise if primary pollutants in the atmosphere undergo chemical reactions.
The resulting compounds are called secondary pollutants. Photochemical smog is an example
of this.

More about pollutants

Air pollutants mainly occur as a result of gaseous discharges from industry and motor vehicles.
There are also natural sources such as wind-blown dust and smoke from fires.

Some forms of air pollution create global problems, such as upper atmosphere ozone depletion
and global warming. These problems are very complex, and require international cooperative
efforts to find solutions.

1
Consider alternative means of transportation, such as walking or bicyling. Or, try carpooling or
telecommuting.
Step2
If you must drive your car, try to do all your errands at one time, one after the other.
Step3
Refuel your car in the evening instead of during the day, when heat allows emissions in the air
and from gas to form ground-level ozone.
Step4
Avoid spilling gas.
Step5
Keep your car in good condition.
Step6
Look for merchants who provide delivery services to help reduce car use.
Step7
Campaign to have your company or office provide a cafeteria or catering service (if it doesn't
already have one) so that you don't have to drive from the workplace to eat lunch.
Step8
Avoid purchasing products that come in aerosol spary cans; try solid, gel and liquid forms instead.
Step9
Use gas-powered lawn tools as little as possible.
Step10
Use water-based paints instead of oil and varnishes.
Step11
Avoid using lighter fluid when barbecuing. Instead, use an electric or chimney briquette starter.