China Pollution 'Cuts Lives By Five Years'

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent, in Beijing

The dire quality of the air in China will shorten lives by an average of five-and-a-half years, according to a major new study.

Scientists from four universities collaborated to produce ground-breaking research which provides the first-ever scientific evidence of the health implications of China's air pollution.

The study, by scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US, Tsinghua University and Peking University in Beijing, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, used data covering an unusually long time span - from 1981 to 2000.

Published today, it concludes that the effect of air pollution will reduce China's workforce by one-eighth.

"We can now say with more confidence that long-run exposure to pollution, especially particulates, has dramatic consequences for life expectancy," Michael Greenstone, the Professor of Environmental Economics at MIT, said.

This year has been the worst on record in the Chinese capital.

In January, the Air Quality Index (AQI) reached a level of more than 700. The World Health Organisation's recommended safe limit is just 25.

Since then, there have only been 20 days when the pollution levels in Beijing recorded an AQI of below 50.

China's air quality was 28 times above safe levels in January

"Everyone understands it's unpleasant to be in a polluted place," Professor Greenstone said.

"But to be able to say with some precision what the health costs are, and what the loss of life expectancy is, puts a finer point on the importance of finding policies that balance growth with environmental quality."

The study focused on northern China where pollution levels are at their worst.

The scientists compared pollution levels with mortality rates north and south of the Huai River, which runs west to east through central China.

In the 1980s, the river was used by the Chinese government as a boundary determining access to free heating.

The population living north of the river, who endure extreme winters, received free coal for fuel boilers and had access to a municipal heating system fuelled by coal power stations, which was switched on and off automatically.

The scientists linked pollution data to mortality statistics from between 1991 and 2000.

The results highlighted a stark difference in mortality rates on either side of the river.

For many years the Chinese government has been accused of ignoring the country's worsening air quality.

Until recently, state media would refer to 'fog' rather than 'smog'.

The swift rise of China's economy poses serious health risks for its people

But last year the Chinese government changed its policy and began to publish data for air quality - first in Beijing and then around the country.

The move came after the US government's decision to place an air quality monitor on the roof of its Beijing embassy. It published its data, initially causing a diplomatic row, but eventually prompting the Chinese to publish their own data.

The worsening air quality is the result of a variety of factors. Coal-fired power stations are only believed to be part of the problem.

The sharp and continuing rise in the number of cars on China's roads, combined with low quality fuel, is a contributing factor.

China's breakneck economic growth over the past three decades has effectively prompted what amounts to a frightening human health experiment.

The effect of China's modern-day industrial revolution will probably not be known for a generation.

In cities across the country, the air is unsafe to breathe, the water is unsafe to drink and the soil contaminates whatever is grown.

As China's population becomes more physically mobile and technologically connected, they are becoming more aware of the dangers posed by the environment.

Pollution issues are increasingly the focus of social unrest and public protests.

The Chinese government is now fully aware of the pressure to act and has introduced measures to improve the quality of vehicle fuel, limit the number of cars on the roads and invest in greener energy models.

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