It’s wind, not rain, that reduces air pollution. It sounds so simple, yet on rainy days, many people believe it’s the rain that’s “washing away” air pollution. Data shows otherwise. Rain is poor at clearing air pollution from the skies. Most of the time, it’s wind that blows pollution away …
This article includes supplemental data for the main article “So You Thought Hong Kong’s Pollution Comes From the Mainland?” This supplemental data will show how high and low wind speeds affect the PM2.5 levels and hence Hong Kong’s pollution. Ultimately, this supplemental article draws the same conclusion as the main …
Air pollution is a serious problem in Hong Kong, and Hong Kongers often complain that the worst of it comes from Mainland China. Is that fact or a convenient scapegoat? After all, Hong Kong is a densely populated developed city with one of the busiest ports in the World – …
There is a common perception that rain will clear smoke and reduce air pollution. Let’s dive into why there is this perception and whether rain truly does clear smoke and improve air quality. 1. Sometimes after it rains in Beijing, the sky is gloriously blue. When that happens, many people …
A new analysis of pollution data shows that wind strongly affects Beijing’s PM2.5. The data shows that the best air pollution happens when there are northern winds. Why would northern winds help? North of Beijing is home to sparsely populated Inner Mongolia. Thus, PM2.5 in China’s capital tends to drop …
Calvin Quek from Greenpeace analyzed how PM2.5 changes with depending on which way the wind is blowing in Shanghai: The data is simple. When the wind is coming from the industrialized areas to the west of Shanghai, toxic air pollution is more likely. When the wind blows in from the ocean, bad air days are much …
