A new environmentally-friendly dust-suppressing agent is set to be
widely used in Beijing construction sites this year. According to
the Beijing Xicheng District Environmental Protection Bureau, it
will help tackle harmful dust levels while offering advantages of
bio-degradability, savings in water consumption and convenience in
use.
Chief bureau director, Zheng said that the large areas of exposed
earth associated with construction sites were one of the main
sources of particulate air pollution in the capital. Significantly
the city is experiencing increasing levels of urban development in
the run up to the 2008 Olympic Games.
Beijing is known as a windy city, especially in the spring. Most
air pollution encountered on a daily basis is due to particulate
matter, so controlling dust is the key to improving air
quality.
The traditional approach to dust control on construction sites has
been to damp down any bare earth with water. This is wasteful both
in manpower and in water resources. Besides it can provide only a
short-lived answer for the water will soon evaporate.
The new environmentally-friendly, dust-suppressing agent is claimed
to be 3.5 times more effective than water. The municipal
environmental department has decided it should be brought into
widespread use this year. In trials a single spray application of
the new agent proved sufficient to prevent dust being lifted by
exposure to winds of up to force 7 over a 50-day period. And what's
more its "green" composition and full bio-degradability mean it
leaves no lasting environmental impact.
(China.org.cn translated by Zhang Tingting, February 14, 2003)