Surviving Beijing since 1980

Updated 5 July 2009

Latest entries: overview June 2009. Also, additional information on air pollution.
Tables will now be posted with the latest ones first and on a separate page.
I have the data now for over one year. I will further update this page with the other months I have – keep posted!
Source: the official figures from the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau (http://www.bjepb.gov.cn/bjhb/).

Unless marked otherwise, the API used refer to one measuring point very close to China Art Gallery – “Dongsi” in Dongcheng District, Beijing. It is not too far from where I live (Gongti Xi Lu).
The data normally refer to a 24 hour average from 12 noon – 12 noon on the mentioned date.
One can argue about the accuracy and the fact it is a 24 hour average. But this is what we got.
Those data you cannot find anywhere as the Bureau promptly removes them after one day, so the tables are unique!
Dongsi is not the best but also not always the worst location. In the past “Qianmen” was always by far the worst but it was simply dropped from the list – no explanation needed here!
I am now also including another measuring point: the Agricultural Palace (East 3rd Ring).

According to the government a “blue-sky day” is when the API falls below 100 (see the red line). Also… when it rains. Most specialists look at 50 as the acceptable limit. For the Olympics, API of 80 to 90 was not considered as acceptable.

==========

Some interesting readings (click the link to download the pdf):

BeijingAirQualityGuide2007.pdf
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Air Quality Guide for Particle Pollution July 2007

AirPolution_LifeExpectancy.pdf
Fine-Particulate Air Pollution and Life Expectancy in the United States
Summary: Exposure to fine-particulate air pollution has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality, suggesting that sustained reductions in pollution exposure should result in improved life expectancy. This study directly evaluated the changes in life expectancy associated with differential changes in fine particulate air pollution that occurred in the United States during the 1980s and 1990s.

heartandpollution.pdf
Cardiovascular implications of exposure to traffic air pollution during exercise
Summary: Regular aerobic exercise is recommended by physicians to improve health and longevity. However, individuals exercising in urban regions are often in contact with air pollution, which includes particles and gases associated with respiratory disease and cancer.

IQAirHealthEff.pdf
Health Impacts of Indoor Air Pollution
By IQAir

Luchtvervuiling.pdf
Acute effecten van luchtverontreiniging
Tim Nawrot, KULeuven, Afdeling Longtoxicologie
Interesting overview on PM10 and other issues, effect on health. In Dutch.

===========

From the USA EPA (Environmental Protection Agency- download 1 July 2009)
(http://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=static.aqguidepart)(in line with the pdf above)

Air Quality Guide for Particle Pollution

Air Quality – Air Quality Index (AQI) – Health Advisory

• Good   -  0-50  -  None.
• Moderate  –   51-100  -  Unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged or heavy exertion.
• Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups  –   101-150  -  People with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion.
• Unhealthy –   151-200  -  People with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion. Everyone else should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion.
• Very Unhealthy (Alert)  -  201-300  -  People with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should avoid all physical activity outdoors. Everyone else should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion.

Key Facts You Should Know About Particle Pollution
Particles in the air can cause or aggravate a number of health problems and have been linked with illnesses and deaths from heart or lung diseases.
•    At highest risk from particle pollution are people with heart or lung disease, older adults (possibly because they may have undiagnosed heart or lung disease), and children whose lungs are still developing and who are more likely to have asthma and are more active outdoors.
•    Particles of concern include both very small, “fine” particles (that can only be seen through an electron microscope) and somewhat larger “coarse” dust particles. Fine particles have been more clearly linked to the most serious health problems.

What are particles? Where do they come from?
Particles in the air are a mixture of solids and liquid droplets that vary in size and are often referred to as “particulate matter.” Some particles – those less than 10 micrometers in diameter – pose the greatest health concern because they can pass through the nose and throat and get deep into the lungs. Ten micrometers in diameter is just a fraction of the diameter of a single human hair. Particles larger than 10 micrometers do not usually reach your lungs, but they can irritate your eyes, nose and throat.
Very small particles with diameters less than 2.5 micrometers are called “fine particles.” They are produced any time fuels such as coal, oil, diesel or wood are burned. Fine particles come from fuel used in everything from power plants to wood stoves and motor vehicles (e.g., cars, trucks, buses and marine engines). These particles are even produced by construction equipment, agricultural burning and forest fires.
“Coarse” dust particles range in size from 2.5 to 10 micrometers in diameter. Particles of this size are produced during crushing or grinding and from vehicles traveling on paved or unpaved roads.

How can particle pollution affect you?

Fine and coarse particles can cause a variety of serious health problems. When exposed to these particles, people with heart or lung diseases and older adults are more at risk of hospital and emergency room visits or, in some cases, even death. These effects have been associated with short-term exposures lasting 24 hours or less. Long-term exposures of a year or more have been linked to the development of lung diseases, such as chronic bronchitis.

Particles can aggravate heart diseases such as congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease. If you have heart disease, particles may cause you to experience chest pain, palpitations, shortness of breath and fatigue. Particles have also been associated with cardiac arrhythmias and heart attacks.

Particles can aggravate lung diseases such as asthma and bronchitis, causing increased medication use and doctor visits. If you have lung disease, and you are exposed to particles, you may not be able to breathe as deeply or vigorously as normal. You may have respiratory symptoms including coughing, phlegm, chest discomfort, wheezing and shortness of breath. You also may experience these symptoms even if you’re healthy, although you are unlikely to experience more serious effects. Particles can also increase your susceptibility to respiratory infections.

How can you reduce your exposure to particles?
Air pollution levels can vary throughout the day. Your local air quality forecast can tell you when particle levels are high in your area. You can reduce your exposure to particles by 1) planning strenuous activity when particle levels are forecast to be lower, 2) reducing the amount of time spent at vigorous activity, or 3) choosing a less strenuous activity (e.g., going for a walk instead of a jog).

When particle levels are high outdoors, they also can be high indoors. Certain filters and room air cleaners are available that can help reduce particles indoors. You also can reduce particles indoors by eliminating tobacco smoke and reducing your use of candles, wood-burning stoves and fireplaces.

For more information on indoor air pollution and filter devices, visit www.epa.gov/iaq

=========

Background information on Beijing’s API and PM2.5

Source: http://pyongyangsquare.com/beijingair/?page_id=3 (our friend Tom);
Plus my own comments.

The relevant section of the former SEPA website has disappeared. I still have my doubts on how Beijing calculates its API. Tom has the following document that explains:
China_API_Rules.pdf

The Chinese authorities use an Air Pollution Index (API) to report the air quality. To determine this API, they measure 4 chemical substances and the fine dust concentrations (PM10); the highest value of these 5 becomes the API. In China and especially in Beijing PM10 seems always been the highest of the 5, as you can see in the daily MEP data.  That means the fine dust is the worst problem, but it does not mean there is no chemical pollution in the background.
So, that explains my view that the API is simply nothing more than the PM10.
Tom’s conclusion: “roughly the API of China, Hong Kong, and the USA’s AQI refer to the same levels of PM10 so we can compare them”.
What differs is the interpretation on health effects. Beijing admits much higher levels and – worse – ignores other pollutants such as PM2.5, ozone etc. As we do definitely NOT trust Beijing, they probably “adapt” their approach to let Beijing look better than it actually is. In other words, obfuscation as usual.
According to European norms, situation here is pretty bad but China nicely tweaks the data.

Beijing is pretty upset by the U.S. Embassy measuring PM2.5 and posting hourly figures through Twitter. PM2.5 is very dangerous, one more reason for Beijing to simply ignore it. Moreover, PM2.5 is not always so visible – it’s a hidden danger.
The criticism of the authorities is unfounded:
- the embassy is not in CBD (behind the Hilton and close to Agricultural Palace)
- BEPB has a station at Agricultural Palace and the figures there are way lower than the U.S. ones.
- the embassy location is pretty representative for the city; where is traffic better than over there?

US Embassy Twitter compared to BEPB

BEPB value up to 12:00 on 2 July – Agricultural Palace: API 56
See here: hourly PM2.5. / Output: concentration / EPA AQI / definition
2 July ; 09:00 ; Latest Hour ; 0.059 ; 152 ; Unhealthy ; Today’s Avg ; 0.063 ; 154 ; Unhealthy
1 July ; 21:00 ; Latest Hour ; 0.064 ; 154 ; Unhealthy ; Today’s Avg ; 0.024 ; 71 ; Moderate
1 July ; 12:00 ; Latest Hour ; 0.014 ; 45 ; Good ; Today’s Avg ; 0.016 ; 51 ; Moderate

BEPB value up to 12:00 on 4 July – Agricultural Palace: API 104
13:00 ; Latest Hour ; 0.185 ; 235 ; Very Unhealthy ; Today’s Avg ; 0.144 ; 197 ; Unhealthy
12:00 ; Latest Hour ; 0.170 ; 220 ; Very Unhealthy ; Today’s Avg ; 0.141 ; 195 ; Unhealthy
11:00 ; Latest Hour ; 0.144 ; 197 ; Unhealthy ; Today’s Avg ; 0.139 ; 194 ; Unhealthy

Interesting with Twitter is to note the timing of pollution peaks and their (scary) values.

To get their rss:

https://twitter.com/statuses/user_timeline/15527964.rss