Source: Purification Net

Over the past few years, air quality has been a topic of discussion among Chinese people. People have been ridiculing China's smog while envying the environment of developed countries. Recently, Yale University in the United States released the "Environmental Performance Index: 2016 report". The report mainly measures the scores of indicators and ranks the environmental performance index (EPI) of the performance of 180 countries in the world that regard environmental issues as high priority areas. One of the key indicators is air quality. The top five countries in the EPI air quality ranking are almost all Pacific island countries, first Seychelles, second Trinidad and Tobago (Central American Caribbean island nation), third Maldives, fourth Iceland, Fifth Australia.

 

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    Air pollution in many developed countries has exceeded health standards. The United States ranks 43rd, Britain 62nd, France 84th, Japan 104th, and Germany 137th.

 

EPI research shows that the evaluation of a country’s air quality should be from four aspects:

1. Domestic average value of nitrogen dioxide concentration

2. The average value of PM2.5 index of domestic exposure to air

3. Indoor air quality (use of indoor solid fuel, such as coal, traditional solid biofuel straw, etc.)

4. The PM2.5 index exceeds the standard

 

Let's take a look at the data of this time entering the top five EPI air quality-Australia:

The total air quality score is 96.13, ranking 13th globally;

The average concentration of nitrogen dioxide is 72.17, ranking 123 in the world;

The average PM2.5 is 98.88, ranking 8th globally;

The indoor air quality is 97.5, ranking first in the world;

The PM2.5 excess standard index is 100 points, ranking second in the world.

    As an economic power in the world, Australia has the highest per capita car holdings in the world, and the manufacturing industry is relatively developed. It is indeed amazing to maintain such air quality.

Looking at China again, it’s a bit terrible...

The total air quality score is only 23.81, ranking second to last in the world;

The average value of nitrogen dioxide is 15.29, ranking 176th;

The average value of PM2.5 is 2.256, ranking 180th, and the world's first to last!

(High energy warning ahead ↓↓↓)

    In the EPI report, the world map of the PM2.5 index was also published. China’s territory has been occupied by dark brown, and it has indeed become a severe disaster area with PM2.5 exceeding the standard in the world. The range of PM2.5 exceeding the standard has basically covered most of the country.

(The darker the color, the more serious the country's PM2.5 exceeds the standard)

    According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1.34 million people died from outdoor air pollution in 2008 and about 7 million people died from air pollution in 2012. Fine particulate pollution such as PM2.5 and PM10 will be inhaled into the lungs Department, accumulated in the respiratory system, enter the blood circulation, causing heart disease, lung cancer, asthma, respiratory diseases, damage to lung function and so on. Therefore, it is very harmful to the elderly, children and sensitive people who already have heart and lung disease.