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PM2.5 Monitoring and Mitigation in the Cities of China Yuan Yuan,† Shusen Liu,‡ Roberto Castro,† and Xubin Pan*,† †
Environmental Engineering, Texas A&M UniversityKingsville, Kingsville, Texas, United States Department of Building Environmental and Equipment, Tianjin Polytechnic University, Tianjin, China nationwide by 2016. After 2016, all the cities and associated emission have to satisfy the requirement of the new criteria. Meanwhile, the real time PM2.5 and ozone monitoring records and relevant information will be released to the public. However, the financial problem is a main hassle for PM2.5 and ozone monitoring, from the instrument installation at the beginning to the monitoring station maintenance in the future. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a PM2.5 standard in 1997. It took about 8−10 years to make the designated areas more effective and by strengthening their n the past decade, the air quality of China has been drawing standard for particle pollution. Currently there are over 1200 great concern in the face of the country's rapid economic monitors in place nationwide to provide real time PM2.5 development. Nowadays, suspended particulate matter (PM) is concentration levels in the U.S. Thus, the implementation in considered to be the most serious pollutant in the metropolitan China would take several years to develop a mature PM2.5 areas around the world due to its adverse health effects, monitoring and recording network. including cardiovascular diseases, respiratory irritation, and 1−3 However, the process to achieve this goal of developing a pulmonary dysfunction. In respect of PM, the fine PM PM 2.5 monitoring network is complicated and difficult. There (PM2.5: aerodynamic diameter of particle ≤2.5 μm) poses the are several noteworthy measures and manners. First of all, the greater health risks, compared with the coarse PM (PM10: monitoring station selection is critical to provide the aerodynamic diameter of particle ≤10 μm) because the representative ambient air data. For instance, the Cities of increased surface areas have high potential to adsorb or Los Angeles and Houston, which are similar to Chinese condense toxic air pollutants (oxidant gases, organic commetropolitan cities, have 10−15 PM2.5 monitoring stations pounds, and transition metals).4 China codified a PM10 deployed which cover the representative areas with industry, standard for ambient air quality in 1996, however, China transport, and household emissions. The installation and does not have a PM2.5 standard or emission rule at present. operation of PM2.5 monitoring are not only to observe the In December 2011, a severe debate focusing on PM2.5 maximum concentration, but also to find out the human occurred among the experts, media and public in Beijing, exposure levels. Second, the PM2.5 emission inventory data China. This debate is dust storms, smog, fog, and haze events should be set up, which include the power plants, wild fire occurred in the north of China with a high frequency, recently, emissions and other sources. This will be helpful for the PM2.5 which was significantly attributed to PM2.5 (Figure 1, a photo in prediction in the air quality modeling and identification of the Beijing, China). Actually, previous studies reported the PM2.5 in 3 most effective strategies for emission controls in the future. the biggest cities of China was in the range of 20−80 μg/m in Third, besides the regular PM2.5 mass concentration measurethe past decade, which highly exceeds U.S. PM2.5 standards ment, speciation monitoring is also important, which would be (primary standard: 15 μg/m3; secondary standard: 35 μg/m3). useful not only for identifying the evocators of adverse health Based on the public requirement, in order to provide adequate effects but also for characterizing emission sources. In fact, the health and environmental protection, the Ministry of Environcomponents of PM2.5 can reflect the predominant emissions of mental Protection of the People’s Republic of China decided to China, (SO2, NOx, CO, and CO2), as well as the distinct local implement a national PM2.5 monitoring program. This emissions. Therefore, the proper locations and measures for promotes China government to pay more attention to the speciation monitoring are significant. Fourth, while implementcommon water and air pollution, rather than the climate ing the control of PM2.5 emissions, it has to be recognized that change.5 air quality is a regional issue. Isolated pollution control strategy According to the Shengxian Zhou, Minister of China in one area is not sufficient to improve the air quality as the Environmental Protection Ministry, the monitoring program neighboring provinces emissions exert significant influence on will be accomplished by “Four Steps”: First, designate the areas the local air quality. The pollution control through the of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and 31 capital cities of regulation of vehicle and industry emissions in the metropolitan provinces where compliance monitoring of PM2.5 and ozone areas can be initiated first. Finally, the application of geographic must be performed by 2012. Second, designate another 113 information system and remote sensing combined with the air cities of high environmental standard and attention to start modeling may help to understand and map the PM2.5 spatial monitoring by 2013. Third, all the county level cities must start monitoring the PM2.5 by 2015. Fourth, a new emission rule and Published: March 26, 2012 PM2.5 standard based on the monitoring data will be executed ‡
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© 2012 American Chemical Society
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Environmental Science & Technology
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Figure 1. Air image in Beijing, 9:21 a.m., Jan 10, 2012.
concentrations on a nationwide level to complement the limited monitoring stations.
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AUTHOR INFORMATION
Corresponding Author
*Phone: 361-592-1081; e-mail:
[email protected]. Notes
The authors declare no competing financial interest.
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REFERENCES
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