| Jan 02, 2013 |
China to release hourly air pollution monitoring data in 74 of its biggest cities |
| (Nanowerk News) Starting Tuesday, real-time air quality monitoring data on PM2.5 intensity in China's 74 major cities is available at the website of www.cnemc.cn. |
| The move is considered a big improvement in air quality monitoring, made at the strong request of the public. |
| Information on particulate matter in China used to be limited to PM10, or particulate matter 10 microns or less in diameter. |
| There has been public demand in recent years for data on PM2.5, a gauge that monitors fine particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less. It is considered to be more hazardous to people's health. |
| A total of 496 monitoring sites have been set up in the 74 cities. |
| According to data released by the Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center, overall air quality of Beijing at 4 p.m. Tuesday ranked "level II" or "fairly good," with an average air quality indices (AQI) reading of 67. |
| The PM2.5 pollution reading in southwest Beijing's Fengtai district and southern suburb Daxing district were marked at 111 and 176 respectively, or "slight pollution" and "medium pollution." |
| Data was collected from more than 20 monitoring sites across the capital city and will be updated every 15-40 minutes. |
| PM2.5 intensity and other air quality information in these 74 cities can also be available through mobile phones. |
| China is proceeding with its urban air quality monitoring program in stages and aims to make it cover all prefecture-level cities by 2016. |
| Source: Xinhua |
