The absolute quantity of local PM2.5 pollution in Beijing has been dwindling, while regional transmission of the hazardous particles has increased, stated a report released Monday.
Liu Baoxian, director of the Beijing Municipal Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Center, released new analysis results concerning PM2.5 sources in Beijing at the Beijing International Forum for Metropolitan Clean Air and Climate Actions during the China International Fair for Trade in Services.
PM2.5, which refers to airborne particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, poses serious health risks. Due to its very complicated origins, a source analysis is instrumental in determining the main objectives and priorities of PM2.5 pollution control.
The report said local PM2.5 emissions accounted for 60 percent of the total, mainly from mobile sources such as diesel and gasoline vehicles, life-scenario sources such as solvent use, auto repair and catering, and dust and industrial sources.
Regional transmission of PM2.5 pollution accounted for the remaining 40 percent, nearly 10 percent higher than the 2018 analysis, and the figures soared to over 60 percent during heavily polluted days.
With the optimization of energy consumption and upgrading of industrial structures, the pollution characteristics of Beijing are becoming similar to those of megacities in the world, Liu said.
He stressed the importance of the continued management of diesel vehicles and volatile organic compound (VOCs) in local emissions.
Regional cooperation, especially the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated air pollution control mechanism, was also highlighted in the report given the increasing impact of regional transmission of PM2.5 pollution.
The report also mentioned that artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, blockchain and big data analysis technologies should be better used to enhance efficient and accurate pollution control.
The newly-released analysis is the third such report conducted by elite universities and institutions between January 2020 and June 2021, sponsored by National Joint Research Center for Tackling Key Problems in Air Pollution Control and the Beijing Municipal Government. Previously, the city carried out two rounds of analyses between 2012 and 2013, and 2017 and 2018.
According to official data, the average concentration of PM2.5 in Beijing was 38 micrograms per cubic meter in 2020, the lowest since data was first collected in 2013. The city also saw 276 days with good air quality last year, an increase of 100 days from 2013. There were only 10 days of heavy air pollution, compared to 58 in 2013.
