Since the autumn of 2020, there have been 11 large-scale haze in North China. After the Chinese New Year in 2021, haze or severe haze will continue to appear in most parts of North China. Despite the impact of the current epidemic, including the implementation of the world's most stringent ultra-low emission standards for flue gas, the control of scattered pollution, the large-scale transition from coal to gas, coal to electricity, and the continuous shutdown and production restriction in autumn and winter, severe haze still occurs many times, indicating that China's air pollution control measures need to be re-examined.

 Since 2017, International Environment Fund of China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) has worked with Development Research Center of the State Council, China Academy of Sciences, China Academy of Meteorological Sciences and scientific research institutes of universities, as well as experts and technicians to control air pollution and treatment. On the basis of governance research, CBCGDF have held a series of seminars on the targeted measures to control air pollution. Experts believe that there are three main reasons why haze cannot be cured for a long time.

 First, in the process of implementing ultra-low emission and controlling sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, serious side effects have been produced. Wet desulfurization emits a lot of water vapor and condensable particles, and reduces the height of flue gas emissions. A lot of ammonia is emitted in the process of denitration. The interaction between these pollutants leads to a significant increase of secondary particles in the atmosphere.

 Second, a large number of industrial water vapor emissions, in the dry winter, pushes up the relative humidity of the atmosphere, increasing particles’ moisture absorption cacpacity, while compressing the emission space, in adverse weather conditions, resulting in the outbreak of severe haze.

 Third, there are serious defects in the current ultra-low emission indicators, which omit ammonia and condensable particles, so that the pollutants that are very critical to the formation of haze are not supervised and controlled.

 Therefore, the experts have put forward the following measures and suggestions:

1.  Through waste heat recycle, the flue gas discharged after wet desulfurization is treated.

The flue gas after wet desulfurization contains not only water vapor and pollutants, but also waste heat. At present, the technology of waste heat recycle and utilization has become mature. In order to quickly suppress the occurrence of heavy haze, it is necessary to forcibly recover the waste heat and water vapor from flue gas after wet desulfurization, so as to achieve the five benefits of energy saving, water saving, haze reduction, carbon reduction and income increase. This is the most effective way to control haze with the lowest economic cost.

 2.  Recovery of water vapor and waste heat discharged from industry.

According to the local industrial layout and environmental capacity, take positive measures to encourage or require the recovery of water vapor / waste heat discharged from various processes of power plant cooling, smelting, chemical industry and other industries. This can remove the "pot cover" above the city and reduce the pollutants discharged with water vapor. Water and waste heat can also be recycled to produce economic benefits.

 3.  Increase the content of ultra-low emissions to make up for the lack of indicators.

To bring the ammonia content in the atmosphere into the control index, the ultra-low standard of particulate matter must include condensable particulate matter. Besides, due to different terrain and meteorological conditions, environmental capacity, and industrial layout and structure, different governance measures and standards should be allowed to be adopted. National environmental protection agencies only monitor and supervise the overall environmental quality of the region, rather than implement the same standard across the board.

4.  Stop applying "stopping operation and limiting production" as a solution in autumn and winter

5.  Although "stopping operation and limiting production" is adopted by enterprises as a solution in autumn and winter in northern China, which has alleviated the haze pollution, but it also brought a serious impact on the local economy and the lives of workers and covered up the problems and defects of environmental governance.

6.   The Beijing Winter Olympic Games will be held in China next year, "stopping operation and limiting production" solution should be stopped, especially in the northern region. At the same time, the Chinese should be more open-minded, willing to learn professional opinions, understand the causes of the haze outbreak as soon as possible, adjust the control measures, and truly achieve a major victory to protect our blue skies.

Translator/Wang Lei

Original Chinese article

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/GEr1mBEXl_j3BlFEsXfeqA

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