The average PM2.5 reading for Beijing in 2018 was 51 micrograms per cubic meter, the city's environment authority reported Wednesday, suggesting steady improvement of air quality as residents of the capital enjoyed more blue sky. At the same time, after three years of effort, the city also significantly improved water quality in 141 severely polluted sections of rivers.

Average PM2.5 falls to 51 micrograms per cubic meter in 2018

Chen Tian, director of the Beijing Municipal Ecological Environment Bureau, said that air quality management made major progress in 2018, as the concentration of the four major atmospheric pollutants decreased, and so did the number of days of heavy pollution.

In 2018, Beijing's PM2.5 average was down 12.1 percent year-on-year, and the concentrations of PM10, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide also decreased. The air quality was reported either "excellent" or "good" in 227 days, in which 31 days witnessed single digit PM2.5 readings, compared to 17 days in 2017. Notably, the monthly PM2.5 averages of Beijing in January, August, and September were lower than the national annual average. Only 15 days were reported to have hazardous levels of PM2.5, nine fewer than the previous year, with significantly shorter duration of severe pollution and greatly lowered peak readings. 

Nevertheless, heavy air pollution reappeared in autumn and winter. According to Chen, there were two influencing factors: the emission level of local pollutants, and the meteorological factors. In the short term, the impact of meteorological factors was more apparent, while in the long run, emission reduction will play a pivotal role in improving air quality.

In 2019, Beijing will emphasize its air pollution control with detailed planning and execution. In terms of industrial pollution, the focus is on reducing emissions from diesel trucks, dust, and volatile organic compounds; in terms of administrative management, the key will be to further improve the management system with up-to-date amendments to improve existing laws, regulations, policies, and standards; in terms of the joint prevention and control scheme, it will be crucial to deepen joint efforts to control air pollution in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and surrounding areas, by strengthening the role of forecasting consultation and contingency planning, while organizing comprehensive pollution treatment campaigns in autumn and winter to improve regional air quality.

141 sections of heavily polluted rivers treated

At the end of 2015, Beijing carried out a comprehensive investigation of the rivers and streams in the city, which identified 141 heavily polluted water bodies. According to Pan Anjun, director of the Municipal Water Affairs Bureau, after three years of treatment, water quality has improved significantly in these river sections, and the work has passed relevant authority assessment and acceptance.

Pan said that pollution control is inseparable from the upgrading of infrastructure. Last year, Beijing completed construction for 780 kilometers of sewage collection pipelines, renovated 220 kilometers of rainwater and sewage combined pipelines, and built 120 kilometers of recyclable water resource pipelines. A total of 15 water recycling plants have been completed in the construction of the main project, and the daily sewage treatment capacity of the city has reached more than 1.8 billion cubic meters.

For rural areas with insufficient sewage treatment facilities, the government has taken different measures according to specific local conditions to promote sewage collection and treatment, as well as facilities construction. Last year, more than 300 villages have managed to solve sewage problems.

At present, pollution treatment project of the 141 heavily polluted waters has been completed, and the water quality has been significantly improved. Compared with 2017, 25.5 percent more of the water from important water function areas has reached the necessary standard; the city's sewage treatment rate reached 93 percent, with a total of 1.07 billion cubic meters water recycled.

Fengtai and Daxing: Different approaches to pollution control

As indicated in the new "Beijing Urban Master Plan" and the goals of the new round of the "South Beijing Action Plan," the Nanyuan-Dahongmen area of Fengtai district is a demonstration area that reflects the cultural charm of Beijing. In 2018, Fengtai released the conceptual planning of the South Central Axis area and announced an open design and plan bidding for the Dahongmen-Nanyuan Forest Wetland Park, a project featuring 16,000 mu (1,067 hectares) of natural vegetation. According to Wang Lijun, chief of Fengtai district, the new wetland park will revitalize the area as a piece of green land with warmth and vitality.

In 2018, the average PM2.5 reading in Daxing district fell to 53 micrograms per cubic meter, a decrease of 8 micrograms per cubic meter from 2017, accomplishing the annual target.

In 2019, Daxing will carry out a new round of PM2.5 pollutant source analysis, and establish a major pollutant list, in an attempt to realize better pollution control and management. Daxing will strive to improve the construction of a monitoring network, and establish an air forecast and warning system, so as to set up a comprehensive monitoring mechanism. At the same time, the district is building a dust monitoring system, while private companies will assist in the comprehensive pollution control.

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