air pollution?

Tags : property, business, travel, technology, nightlife, events, food, food, expat_services

Shanghai Expat Forum Index » City Living Forums » Relocation and Moving

Author

Message

deirlyn

Newbie

Joined: Apr 30, 2004
Posts: 2

Status: Offline

Posted: Apr 30, 2004 - 09:40 PM
Post subject: air pollution?

My husband and I are considering relocation to Shanghai but have heard the air pollution is very bad. We have an 18 month old baby. Can someone advise us about risks of asthma, bronchitis etc in young children and also if there is a residential area with much lower levels of pollution.
Thanks!

dek

Barker

Joined: Feb 09, 2004
Posts: 145

Status: Offline

Posted: Apr 30, 2004 - 11:12 PM

Shanghai's air has been improving over the past few years with the closure or conversion of several coal fired power plants and the introduction of cleaner vehicles. Expo is coming and the Shanghai Environment Protection Bureau is working quite hard to reduce air pollution. Unfortunately the situation is still quite bad, especially in the winter time when there is less dispersion of pollutants in the atmosphere and emissions from biomass burning for heating in the areas outside Shanghai are highest. Suspended particulate matter (PM) levels rise sharply in the winter. These are the small particles that are likely to affect asthmatics and cause respiratory problems.

In the summer time, the high heat causes Nitorgen Oxides in the atmosphere to react and form ground level Ozone (smog). This can also have significant health impacts but, for your baby, PM is a greater risk.

Personally I do not notice the air pollution in Shanghai significantly more than I notice it in many cities in the US and Europe. The US EPA is now finding that more and more areas of the country have air quality that exceeds air quality standards, especially for PM. Concentrations of ozone in some southern california cities is significnatly higher during the summer time than in Shanghai.

You can follow Shanghai's air quality each day at http://www.envir.online.sh.cn/Eng/faq.html

You can minimise your baby's exposure to PM by staying indoors during high pollution days (a forecast for the next day is shown on the website). In the US, there is a similar Air Quality Index system where sensitive groups are warned of upcoming high pollution days. You may also look for a place to live away from major roads carrying diesel vehicles (most expat family areas are in reasonably quiet locations).

For more information about air quality in Asia, you can go to http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/channel.html

Hope this helps.