shenzhen will invest 31.9 billion yuan (us$5.18 billion) by 2017 to reduce air pollution and improve air quality as part of its efforts to make the city into the most livable in terms of air quality among major chinese cities.
the density of pm2.5 particles -- which are of 2.5 micrometers or less in size -- will drop to below 30 micrograms per cubic meter and 80,000 yellow-labeled (or high-emission) vehicles will be eliminated, the southern metropolis daily reported yesterday, quoting liu zhongpu, chief of shenzhen's environmental commission.
to reduce vehicle emissions, all gas stations have been required to supply national iv-standard fuel. a total of 29,883 yellow-labeled vehicles were eliminated in 2013.
"there was a theory that shenzhen's air quality is determined by meteorological and geological conditions. it isn't completely true, though meteorological conditions are a key factor in determining air quality," said yan min, a researcher with shenzhen air environment research institute. yan said shenzhen's air quality is improving because of the implementation of strict control methods.
according to yan, shenzhen completed renovations of four power generators at mawan power plant and three incinerators at power plants in yantian, bao'an and nanshan in 2013. the renovations reduced emissions of nitrogen oxide by 6,300 tons a year.
in the first half of the year, the city imposed 17 million yuan in fines on environmental polluters and 20 cases have been handed over to judicial organs for prosecution.
shenzhen is among nine of 161 chinese cities (and the only first-tier one) that passed the new, stricter air quality standards in the first half of this year, according to the ministry of environmental protection (mep) earlier this month. this indicates that only 6 percent of the cities surveyed have air regarded as safe.
the city's air quality was at "safe" or "excellent" levels on 171 out of 181 days in the first half of the year, according to the local environmental authority. of the five major pollutants monitored, only average ozone density rose slightly compared with the same period last year. the city's density of pm2.5 particles averaged 33 micrograms per cubic meter in the first six months, lower than a year ago.
in february 2012, china issued new air quality monitoring standards that include the monitoring of ozone, carbon monoxide and pm2.5, plus that of pm10, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide.
the new standards were put into use at the beginning of the year and 161 cities across the country have adopted them.
(source:shenzhen daily)
