Environment

Currently, the atmospheric pollution is nationwide in China and in most cities it is becoming increasingly severe. It will not only slow down the sustainable development of economy but also have an adverse effect on human health. During the twelfth five-year plan, China will invest 100 billion RMB on preventing and controlling atmospheric pollution, and the central government has issued the “Plan of Action for Prevention and Control of Atmospheric Pollution” to show the strong will to improve the atmospheric environment in China. It is deemed as the strictest regulation on preventing and controlling atmospheric pollution. This plan dictates that the density of PM10 shall be reduced by 10% nationwide, the density of PM2.5 in Jingjinji region (Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei), Yangtze River triangle region and Pearl River region shall drop by 25%, 20% and 15% respectively. Five years from now, the quality of atmospheric environment aims to be improved substantially.

There are three major sources of pollutants:

1. The use of fossil- fuels like coal and oil;
2. The dust and waste gases from heavy industries like power plants, steel mills, chemical factories, cement factories and construction sites, etc;
3. Exhausts from vehicles like buses, cars, trains, ships and planes, etc.

Apart from industrial fumes and pollution caused by the consumption of fossil-fuel, fugitive dusts on the construction sites and roads also account for the ever-worsening atmospheric environment. According to statistics, in many cities, fugitive dusts make up to 30% to 50% of the floating particles in the environment. Hence, prevention and control of fugitive dusts is very important to improve air quality in the cities.

Fugitive dusts consist of dustfall (diameter>100μm), floating dusts (diamater110～00μm), Inhalable particles (diameter<10μm). Most of the fugitive dusts come from the following sources:

1. Demolition of buildings, roads, construction sites, and other municipal facilities;
2. Lands without vegetation;
3. Construction materials in industry zones, ports and coal piles;
4. Dusts caused by moving vehicles.

Most of these construction and road dusts are the major sources of particle pollutants and have the following adverse effects：

1. The tiny particles would obstruct vision and cause visual pollution;
2. Too much dusts would lead to the development of acid rain, which would be harmful for buildings, metal materials and antiquities;
3. Dusts can also be harmful for vegetation;
4. Dusts are inhaled into respiratory organs, causing diseases;
5. Too much dusts also leads to hygiene problems and affects the daily life of citizens.

Sources

http://www.cn-hw.net/html/17/201303/38664.html
http://www.goootech.com/solutions/detail/73012042.html
http://www.gmw.cn/xueshu/2014-11/26/content_13970693.htm