People living in Beijing and Shanghai have been fortunate these last couple years as they can access hourly pollution updates. But the scope was very limited, until late last year when China released a new website which offers hourly updates of pollution data for dozens of sites all over China. It’s a great new resource …

Let’s be honest here — talking about air pollution can be really dry and technical. Plus, I can say that the AQI is “dangerously high” today and that you should take care, but it’s still all so abstract, isn’t it? I mean, where’s the actual proof of harm? It’s a fair question, and for me …

A lot of people get this wrong: the answer is winter is worst. People look at those endless hazy skies of ozone smog in mid-August and usually think that is the worst season. But actually, the deep summer is the cleanest time of year in regards to the deadlier pollutants like particulates (PM2.5 and PM10), …

There’s big news on the air pollution front; the Chinese government has just started a nationwide network of air pollution monitors which update hourly and are freely available on their new website. Another blog, livefrombeijing, is covering more specifics of this great news. You can access the new pollution website here, but be warned, it …

Students and others with limited incomes shouldn’t feel helplessly left out of the eternal expat discussion regarding air purifiers. I mentioned before but will stress again, given the recent weather: there’s a very decent and affordable Taiwan/U.S.A.-made HEPA air purifier which is perfect for small dorm rooms, offices and bedrooms. It’s the Hunter 31125 model, …

This is part 3 of my analysis of the results from my recent online survey of Beijing health, which I called the Health Snapshot Beijing 2010. It’s the first of what I hope will be an annual survey to assess Beijing’s healthcare and expat’s perceptions of their health. Part one reviewed overall perceptions, while part …

Does “going green” make you healthier? I believe it helps to frame this issue if we picture our bodies as a bulls-eye target for many poison-tipped arrows: we are exposed to dangerous levels of toxins via the air, and also via many foods and drinks we ingest. So, individual efforts to live a more environmentally-friendly …

Beijing’s internet forums are always filled with heated debates as to which air purifier is best: IQAir vs Blueair vs others; import vs local; etc etc. I finally decided to jump into the fray and enter the great debate. As I’ve mentioned in many posts, I am a big fan of indoor air purifiers because I …

I’ve often written about how Beijingers may need a good filtration mask on the really bad days here, but it’s difficult to find good ones. I’ve usually recommended any official N95 mask, and I consider the 3M company to be the most professional company for these. Unfortunately, they are much more geared for construction teams …

Our neighbor to the south is lucky enough to be the first Chinese city (as far as I know) to publish hourly updates of air quality, freely available to all on their website. This practice is now standard in most countries, and I hope that Beijingers can soon also get such valuable information. Right now, we …

Here’s a very common expat question: is riding a bike in a city helping or harming your health? Fortunately, someone researched this exact question and now we can breathe with some relief, as the verdict is in: biking is beneficial. The article was just published in Environmental Health Perspectives journal and is an essential read for …

Last autumn I wrote a very popular piece covering my escapades around town with an air particle monitor. I had so much fun that I borrowed the monitor again last winter and published my findings in CityWeekend Beijing Parents & Kids magazine, now published every two months. Here is my reprint: Winter this year started …