I have arrived in Beijing with two suitcases. One with cloth and another one with tools and air quality testing equipment. I don’t know what the Chinese government is using to test for PM10 (particle levels), but I brought an array of laser-based instruments to give us both particle count and particle mass readings.
In fact, this setup should provide us with slightly more meaningful data than that of the Chinese government. The measuring standard that the Chinese are using to determine airborne particle levels is pretty outdated. They are basing their measurements on PM 10, which refers to the total mass (weight) of particle 10 microns in size and smaller. Great you might say - this covers all airborne particles. The problem of using PM 10 as an indicator of air quality is that it essentially ignores particles below 1 micron in size. While these are the most harmful, they are also the ones which weight the least. This is why virtually every developed nation around the world has switched to looking at smaller particles in determining the healthfulness of their air. Fortunately, the equipment we brought can do just that. We will measure particle levels in terms not only PM 10, but also PM 2.5 and particle count (PC 0.3). What we are getting will probably be some of the most comprehensive, publicly available data in all of China.
As a suitable location for our outdoor air quality measurements, we have selected our covered balcony on the fifth floor of our apartment building. For the indoor measurements, we set up an ad hoc testing station on a shelf in the main living room of our apartment. For the next three days, we will document the outdoor air quality in Beijing and the indoor air quality in our apartment. Let’s see how Beijing air is affecting the air in our apartment. Then will come the fun part: turning this place into clean air mecca with advanced air purification. Until then we will have to tough it out.
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