We're Number Two! New Delhi Beats Beijing as World's Most Polluted City

Steven Schwankert | May 8, 2014 11:00 am | 7 comments | 6168 reads

Breathe easy, Beijingers. The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially designated New Delhi as the city with the world's worst air pollution, thanks in part to unclear data provided by Beijing. Hoorah for opacity!

Air pollution worsened globally since 2011, and 13 of the top 20 cities were in India. However, it was not an apples-to-apples comparison: the Beijing air quality data was from 2010, whereas India's data was from 2012, according to Reuters.

“Too many urban centres today are so enveloped in dirty air that their skylines are invisible,” said WHO Assistant Director-General for Family, Children and Women's Health Dr. Flavia Bustreo, in a statement. “Not surprisingly, this air is dangerous to breathe. So a growing number of cities and communities worldwide are striving to better meet the needs of their residents – in particular children and the elderly."

RELATED: The Grill is Gone: Why Barbecue Crackdowns Make No Difference in Beijing

While some countries set standards for PM 2.5 particulate matter levels, including China, WHO says there is no safe level for PM 2.5.

Beijing's pollution isn't getting worse, according to analysis of PM 2.5 data collected by the US Embassy over the last five years, although the worst time on record occurred on January 23, 2012, coinciding with the arrival of Spring Festival and accompanying fireworks throughout the city.

Earlier in the week, Quartz published this helpful charts using more recent data so that our particle-drenched minds could fully comprehend how much better it is to live in Beijing than New Delhi:

And this one, just in case you weren't feeling so upbeat about the last one:

There's plenty of blame for Beijing's pollution to go around, from outdoor barbecues to factories in nearby Hebei province. It may not be getting worse, but for the moment it doesn't seem to be getting any better. This morning's Air Quality Index (AQI) reading was 187, considered unhealthy.

Photo: ZME Science, Quartz

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admin's picture admin Submitted by Guest on Fri, 05/09/2014 - 09:53

BTW, here's a link to the WHO charts that rank a few thousand cities worldwide. Imperfect, but enlightening.

http://www.who.int/phe/health_topics/outdoorair/databases/cities/en/

Download the excel sheet yourself here:

http://www.who.int/entity/quantifying_ehimpacts/national/countryprofile/AAP_PM_database_May2014.xls?ua=1

BTW, according to my rankings of World Capitals (not all work capitals have data), Beijing is the 9th worst for air quality of all the world capitals, and probably #2 after New Delhi in capitals that aren't solidly in the Third World or located in a desert.

You want clean world capitals? Move to one of the top 10 clear-air capital cities:

1. Canberra, Australia
2. Stockholm, Sweden
3. Reykjavik, Iceland
4. Helsinki, Finland
5. Dublin, Ireland
6. Washington DC, USA
7. Madrid, Spain
8. Luxembourg
9. Monaco
10. Thimpu, Bhutan
 

 

Books by current and former Beijinger staffers

http://astore.amazon.com/truerunmedia-20

admin's picture admin Submitted by Guest on Thu, 05/08/2014 - 17:22

remember folks:

The numbers in the charts above are PM 2.5 mg/m3 measurements, not AQI numbers.

Right now the hallowed US embassy machine is reading 79 mg/m3, and an AQI of 162.

see the way the  US EPA calculates AQI here:

http://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=resources.conc_aqi_calc

However, the AQI isn't always directly connected to PM 2.5  -- the AQI isn't just tied to PM 2.5, it also measures PM 10, nitrogen dioxide, sodium dioxide, ozone and carbon monoxide.

http://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=aqibasics.aqi

In other words, we could have a reading of 0 mg/m3 in terms of PM 2.5 and still have a shitty day with a high AQI, because one of the other bugbears is really bad.

 

Books by current and former Beijinger staffers

http://astore.amazon.com/truerunmedia-20

The Equalizer's picture The Equalizer Submitted by Guest on Thu, 05/08/2014 - 16:41

According to Reuters if the 2013 data was used Bj would be #17, the count is spot on. But the point is moot because the main thing around here doesn't seem to be to tackle this issue but find ways to feel good about BJ not being number one. I mean go figure these guys are happy even if they are number two, even happier at number 17 and we are talking about all the cities in the world. This is the heigth of idiocracy.

Maybe they have chosen to find solace in the fact just to be happy each day since ten years is being cut off their life expectancy, thus rejoice and not being number one.

Not to mention the data cannot be trusted turned in by local officials around here and I do think it is quite laughable they turn in 2010 data trying to "cook the books" so to speak.

This article also contradicts an article one of your writers wrote here a few months ago claiming the air is not worse now then ten years ago. Just reading proof one cannot beleive everything they read or that is published.

This article is a BIG FAIL and the city has failed even bigger if they are saying only 3 days with a 2.5 count over 250 according to your chart.

All information stated by this poster is for informational purposes only. The content should not substitute you seeking psychiatric advice should you have a problem with it.

mtnerror's picture mtnerror Submitted by Guest on Thu, 05/08/2014 - 16:08

@NoRSVPs: sarcasm can be a very effective tool at drawing attention as well as enacting change. What I find is a joke is not how The Beijinger in this particular article may poke fun at the deplorable rankings (they've done plenty of proper call outs and "journalistic" reporting or forwarding of other news agencies), or call out the shenangan-riddled blaming on outdoor BBQs as preposterous culprits of pollution, but how there are so many who love to cry about the AQI but a) do little to harm themselves against the ill effects (aka, wearing a tight fitting, good quality, actually made-for-AQI concerns mask vs. hospital bed sneeze guards) and b) blast the AQI whilst living in a city which they are not tied down to.

NoReservations's picture NoReservations Submitted by Guest on Thu, 05/08/2014 - 11:15

That dot chart is bullshit, even on what is considered quite a nice day today, it is 160 AQI. For example, it states that in the last 4 months there have been only 11 days when pollution between 150-250, and we all know that is completley inaccurate. So it's more than likely Beijing is number 1 in the world. But anyways, thanks for giving such a feel good article to all people living in Beijing. I know you may think it's funny to triviliase and joke about "hey we are only number 2, so things aren't so bad" but I actually think that angle you take will make your readers more angry (including myself) and consider the city they live as more of a joke. We are living in a disgustingly polluted city, and you have made us question again why we live here.

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