by Ying Lang
China Daily, 21 December 1998

A report released during the weekend concerning indoor air quality in various public places in Beijing indicates indoor air quality problems can no longer be overlooked.

The report was based on two rounds of tests in four typical buildings equipped with airconditioners, including a cinema, a restaurant, a four-star hotel and an office building.

Organised by the State Environmental Protection Administration and sponsored by the British American Tobacco China Corp, the tests were carried out jointly by the Chinese Academy of Environmental Science and the Healthy Buildings International of Australia during the summer of 1997 and winter of 1998.

The major cause for typical indoor air problems in these buildings were inadequate ventilation and filtration, and insufficient maintenance of air-purification systems.

Ventilation and purification are very important for achieving excellent air quality, said experts.

The high-level content of suspended articles in the outdoor air produced unfavourable effects on the cleanness of the air purification apparatus, according to the report.

Smoking was reported not an important factor influencing air quality in these four buildings, as the density of nicotine in the air was reported very low, said the report.

The report suggested the city should develop indoor air standards that are in line with international ones, so as to improve the indoor air quality.

The country has never conducted comprehensive indoor air quality surveys, although it has done a lot of indoor air monitoring.

Zhang Kunmin, secretary-general of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development, said that as a country with a huge population, per capita indoor space is small, and thus indoor air quality should be watched to protect citizens' health.

A number of people reportedly die of indoor air pollution each year, including people in rural areas.

Zhang added that the related research results would aid in policy-making.