What is Shanghai's air quality index?
Shanghai is located in China at the southern mouth of the Yangtze River. The population is estimated to be around 25 million in 2019. This figure reflects the people who are registered as living there, but does not take into account transient workers. It is the most populous urban area in China, surpassing the capital Beijing. It is a very busy city due to its location, and the Port of Shanghai is the busiest container port in the world. In 2018, the port handled 42 million 20-foot containers, 259 cruise ships and 1.89 million passengers.To get more shanghai latest news, you can visit citynewsservice.cn official website.
According to the respected air quality monitoring website IQAir.com, the air quality was recorded as 'moderate' at the end of 2020, with an AQI of 84. This classification is based on guidelines published by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The concentration of the main pollutants in the air was as follows - PM2.5 = 28 µg/m³, PM10 = 42.5 µg/m³, ozone (O3) = 16 µg/m³, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) = 59 µg/m³, sulphur dioxide (SO2) = 8 µg/m³ and carbon monoxide (CO) = 800 µg/m³. All these figures are given in micrograms per cubic metre.
Looking at the annual figures for the last three years, we can see that air quality is improving slightly. In 2019, Shanghai recorded 'moderate' levels for seven months of the year, from May to November. The winter period from December to April was slightly worse, with a rating of 'unhealthy for sensitive groups'. Overall, the average value was 35.4 µg/m³, which is an improvement compared to 2018 and 2017 with values of 36 and 38.9 µg/m³ respectively.
What are the main sources of air pollution in Shanghai?
Shanghai's air pollution is mainly caused by coal combustion, motor vehicles, industrial dust, atmospheric chemical conversion in urban centres and unfavourable meteorological conditions, all of which are related to the city's rapid socio-economic development. More specifically, vehicle and factory emissions account for at least 50 per cent of Shanghai's polluted air. 10.5 per cent comes from demolition and reconstruction sites. A further 7.3 per cent comes from power plants and 10 per cent from rural straw burning. Pollutants carried into the city by the wind make up the rest.
Is Shanghai's air quality getting better or worse?
In September 2014, local authorities introduced the toughest air pollution law in all of China, which became enforceable on 1 October. Personal penalties for company bosses were introduced, with fines of RMB100,000, and the maximum fine for the company was increased to RMB500,000. The ban on straw burning was extended to the whole province rather than just central Shanghai. However, the fines imposed on farmers caught breaking the law are a relatively small sum of RMB 200, which does not act as a deterrent.
Real-time AQI readings are now available to all residents, who can use the figures to decide what action to take.
A new emissions standard has been introduced for all vehicles registered after May 2014. This standard enforces lower emissions of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides.
Vehicles that emit high levels of pollutants are known as "yellow label" vehicles and are subject to increasingly stringent controls. It was estimated that there were still 120,000 yellow label vehicles on Shanghai's roads in 2015. In July 2014, they were banned from using the outer ring roads, having already been banned from using the inner ring roads. A complete ban came into effect in 2015, preventing them from entering Shanghai's suburbs.
The central government has issued a directive that at least 30 per cent of all government-owned vehicles must be powered by renewable energy. Subsidies have also been introduced to encourage residents to make "green" choices when buying new vehicles. Each new buyer will receive RMB 40,000 and a Shanghai licence plate worth RMB 70,000. They can also apply for a government subsidy of RMB 60,000.
