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REGION: Asia-Pacific
TOPIC: Health
Online NewsHour
FORUM
Posted: August 4, 2008

Air Pollution in China

 Forum Introduction
Kenneth Rahn Atmospheric chemist Kenneth Rahn regularly travels to China to consult with scientists there about the country's air pollution problem. Rahn took your questions about pollution in Beijing during the run-up to the Olympic Games.
QUESTIONS
Have recent Chinese government efforts to reduce the pollution been effective?
How does pollution in Beijing compare to metropolitan areas in the United States?
How does air quality in Beijing compare to previous Olympic locations?
Are pollution problems less serious in other Chinese cities?
What is the chemical makeup of pollution in Beijing?
Is there any way to find out pollution levels in a localized way?
Do the Chinese have a realistic chance of cleaning up the pollution in Beijing?
Will China's efforts to curb pollution affect air quality in the United States?
What about the three southern cities mentioned in the NewsHour story?
Do you see this as a public education opportunity?
What are the long-term effects on the Chinese population?
Does pollution stay in the lungs or get flushed out over time?
John Shaughnessy of Fairfield, Va. asks
Will the pollution breathed by those attending the 2008 Games stay in their lungs or will it be flushed out over time? Please compare to tobacco smoke, asbestos, farmer's lung, etc.
ANSWERS
Kenneth Rahn responds:

It gets flushed out pretty fast. Most of the fine particles are soluble, and will simply be excreted in the normal course of things.

Tobacco smoke is far worse than Beijing's pollution. Asbestos is a wholly different kind of problem, and I have no idea whether China is using asbestos today or has used it extensively in the past. Don't know about farmer's lung. Sorry.
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