While the air quality in Beijing remains poor, the technology to
monitor it keeps getting better.
The latest breakthrough has come in the shape of a device that
instantly measures and visualizes air quality, enabling the public
to know exactly what they are inhaling.
After a successful trial in a shopping center, officials at the
Haidian District Sanitation Supervision Institute are ready to roll
out the device, the first of its kind in China, across the
city.
"The use of the system is a step forward in building a long-term
mechanism to detect and control air quality in large and crowded
places like shopping centers," said Han Hongxing, an official with
the institute.
Humidity levels, temperature, amounts of carbon dioxide, noise
and germs can all be monitored and updated every one or two hours,
Han explained. Results are shown on an electronic board.
"Consumers said they were pleased, and indeed felt honored, to
read the board," Xin Jimin, manager of Shuang'an Department Store,
said.
After a trial starting May 2, Xin said the device has attracted
more customers to his store.
Han suggested all indoor public places bigger than 6,000 square
meters should be equipped with the system, so as to guarantee
customers timely air quality information.
Last November, the institute sparked public concern with the
release of a report saying the air in eight shopping centers in
Beijing, picked at random, contained high levels of unhealthy
elements and did not meet environmental standards.
The new air quality monitoring system, Han said, is an updated
and improved version of the devise used in the surveyed places last
year.
However, experts from the Center for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) in Haidian District doubted the feasibility of the
system.
"As of now, there is still a lack of official data examining the
accuracy of the system," Xu Dongfang, an expert on environment
sanitation under the Haidian CDC, said.
Wang Diange, an engineer involved in the development of the
system, argued that the product has been given China Metrology
Accreditation, proving the product's stability and accuracy. But he
also admitted that as of now, the product has not been certified by
the International Standards Organization (ISO).
"It's just a time issue," said Wang, hinting that the
application was being processed.
(China Daily May 23, 2006)