Qingdao starts to make air quality program

A number of cities including Beijing begin to set up environmental protection program because of the recent dense smog and terrible air quality. It is learned from Qingdao Environment Protection Bureau that Qingdao is now making a plan to gradually improve the air quality.

It is learned that Municipal Environment Protection Bureau has formed a plan-making group and a leading group to assess the Qingdao's atmospheric environmental quality, find out the major problems to be solved and finalize the air quality project, completion deadlines and results at each phase. The plan shall be completed and submitted in April as planned.

According to the traditional Environment Air Quality Standards, the environment air quality around Qingdao downtown meets the requirements of Grade ? of the national environment air quality standards with the eligible rates up to 91.5%. ? In accordance with the new standards, the eligible rate of environment air quality around Qingdao downtown will greatly be degraded. PM2.5 will become the major pollutants affecting the air quality of Qingdao.? said a relevant official form Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau. The sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide in the air has been controlled effectively after years of treatment. However, it is difficult to reduce the density of pollutant newly added in the national environment air quality standards like carbon monoxide, ozone and PM2.5 in a short term. Recently, the reading for PM 2.5 in Qingdao reached 446 microgram per cubic meter which is far behind the new standards. It is a long way for Qingdao to meet the requirements of national environment air quality standards.