Chinese researchers believe their latest technological breakthrough could help reduce the way countries battle fine particulate matter pollution.
The Beijing Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau has unveiled a new method of analyzing this microscopic source of pollution, China Daily reported. Known as PM2.5, these airborne particles are no larger than 2.5 micrometers.
To get an idea of just how small that is, there are more than 25,000 micrometers in 1 inch.
With this new method, Beijing "has taken the lead in China to innovate a comprehensive source analysis method of the particulate matter 2.5 of PM25 … accurately identifying pollution sources and causes," researcher Li Li'na told China Daily.
The PM2.5 analysis method is just one innovation the bureau recently touted. It also announced a platform that allows for better monitoring, analysis, and decision-making for water, earth, and air quality, along with a heavy truck pollution-tracking system.
PM2.5 pollution may not be widely discussed, but it is a major issue. Because the particles are so small, they are easy to inhale and have been shown to cause damage to organs in the digestive system, particularly the liver.
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As the planet experiences more heat-related weather events and wind-pattern changes, air becomes more stale, allowing for more PM2.5 particles to accumulate. A 2025 study found that PM2.5 exposure during so-called hot and polluted episodes resulted in nearly 700,000 premature deaths globally.
This new PM2.5 analysis technology should help Beijing continue to improve its air pollution problem, as the city has already taken great strides in that regard. Over the past 12 years, city officials reported that Beijing's average PM2.5 density has fallen by 65.9%, from 89.5 micrograms per cubic meter in 2013 to 30.5 now.
IQAir, an agency that monitors global air quality, ranks Beijing just outside the top 500 of the world's most-polluted cities. In 2017, its amount of pollution would have ranked in the top 75 globally.
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