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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?
Brian of Atlanta, Ga. asks
Do you happen to know how the averrage air quality in Beijing compares to previous Olympic locations? I imagine there were concerns about cities such as Los Angeles also, especially in the 80s.
ANSWERS
Kenneth Rahn responds:

I don't know the exact historical values from those other Olympic locations, but would guess that the ozone is not so different from them, and probably lower than Los Angeles used to be. The big difference in Beijing is the particulate matter (PM), because of the huge amount of coal burned and the arid climate that lets a lot of soil dust get blown up into the air.

Next Question and Answer
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