CRI听力:Real-time Air Quality Data in Beijing

As of today, the Beijing Municipal government is now releasing real-time air-quality data on the Internet for residents to check. The center's staff will post air-quality data 24 hours a day on its official website, www.bjmemc.com.cn, based on results from 27 monitoring stations in the city.

The director of the Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center Liu Xianshu explains.

"Before the Spring Festival, data released will mainly cover the density of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and PM10 in the air."

Instead of only the daily air quality averages, the new measurements are more informative. The municipal government plans to release monitoring data using the PM2.5 gauge for the first time on January 23, before the Spring Festival. The PM2.5 data shows the test results for airborne particulate matter under 2.5 micrometers in size.

"Before the revised national air quality standard is issued, we will disclose PM2.5 data which was previously only available for laboratory research. Residents will be able to check it as a reference."

PM2.5 is considered more hazardous to people's health as the smaller particles penetrate deeper into the lungs. It is a more accurate reflection of air quality than the older standards of measurement. But previously, only data relating to denser PM10 was published.

In 2006, the environmental monitoring center started taking PM2.5 measurements for use by scientists, and set up substations for PM2.5 monitoring after the 2008 Olympic Games. Due to a lack of equipment, only six substations in Beijing are able to monitor PM2.5 at present.

The Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau is now working to increase its number of monitoring substations, in order to release real-time PM2.5 data by the end of 2012.

The rapid growth of China's economy has resulted in more air pollution, but the current air-quality rating standard, which has not changed in over 10 years, has not progressed along with the economy.

Late last year, environmental authorities in Beijing and other Chinese cities faced a flurry of criticism from the general public regarding air quality, and the lack of PM2.5 air quality measurements.

A recent government proposal for a tighter pollution monitoring system nationwide, using the PM2.5 and ozone density measures, has easily won support from the Chinese public.

This plan is scheduled to be fully implemented nationwide by 2016, with pilot projects being conducted in certain regions ahead of the national deadline.

For CRI, this is Zhang Wan.