Kanazawa University Leads a Joint Research on PM2.5

Japan chronically falls victim to the prevailing westerlies from the Chinese continent this time of year. By November 9 the Chinese province of Liaoning up northeast has recorded the highest levels of air pollution indices (1-6) in major cities in the province. The central Beijing was covered with milky smog and cars had to drive with the headlights on during the daytime.

In the capital city of Shenyang, Liaoning Province marked on November 8 a spot PM 2.5 level of 1400 micrograms per 1 cubic m. , 20 times the upper safety level of 70 micrograms set by the Japanese Ministry of Environment.

In Shenyang, a heavy fog set in November 8 to lower visibility, so low that the drivers had to slow down and the pedestrians had to wear masks to guard against air pollutant. Drugstores sold out masks; hospitals congested with crowds complain coughing and sore throat.

Kanazawa University has a plan to start jointly with three overseas institutions a comprehensive research on air pollution and effects on human body. PM2.5 is identified to be a major cause of air pollution and China is blamed for emitting much of it as byproduct of industrial development affecting Kyushu and Nokuriku regions. The actual state of affairs involving PM2.5 is yet to be identified.

The university reached an agreement last month on a joint study on air pollution with three overseas universities reputed for the subject - California Institute of Technology, New Zealand's California Institute of Technology and University of Vienna of Austria.

The four institutions will conduct in two and half years' time a series of study on PM2.5 up in the airspace above Japan, the origin and course of dispersion of PM2.5 and its effects on human body notably asthma and bronchitis. the team will fly aircraft to collect data.
Prof. Kazuichi Wada comments to NNK:

"By collaborating with these advanced institutions we hope to go steps ahead in our study of air pollution".