(The following is a second post from a new contributor, Chris Buckley of Torana Clean Air)

Many of us rely on the Air Quality Index (AQI) supplied by the US Embassy as a guide to pollution levels in the capital. In this, the first in an occasional series of posts on this topic, I will discuss how to interpret this number in a Beijing context. …Continue reading: Using the Beijing Air Quality Index (AQI) – Part I…

(The following is a guest piece from Chris Buckley, owner of Torana Clean Air Center in Beijing)

Recently, I’ve been doing measurements inside and outside of homes in Beijing, looking at fine particle air pollution, of the same size range (less than 2.5 microns) that is monitored by the US Embassy. Most homes have indoor air pollution levels that are similar to outside levels, as Richard has mentioned in a previous post on Beijing air pollution, but in a few cases I have seen levels of fine dust that are much, much higher than outside. In one case recently the dust in the finest range that I am able to measure 0.3 micron to 0.5 microns) was 3 times higher than the outside air, and dust in the 0.5micron to 2.5 micron range was an astonishing 28 times higher than the outdoor level. …Continue reading: Ultrasonic Humidifiers in Beijing – An Unnecessary Risk?…