Chinese researchers have concluded, based on research results, that sand dust has become the prime pollutant affecting the quality of air in Chinese cities.

While addressing a recent national symposium on monitoring sandstorms held in Lanzhou, capital of northwest China's Gansu Province, Kang Xiaofeng, a researcher with China General Station for Environmental Monitoring, said particulate matter from sand storms or sandy weather was blamed for 80 percent of the days with air pollution in 2001.

The impact of sandy weather on the quality of air in cities is related to the relative geographic position of cities to main sources of sand dust, and the path of sand dust being swept, said Kang.

Citing the year 2001 as a good example, the Chinese researcher said pollution by sand dust was the most serious in Lanzhou, capital of northwest China's Gansu Province, and Yinchuan, capitalof northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, where large area of deserts exist.

Sand dust pollution in cities in north China, such as Beijing, the national capital, and Hohhot was also very serious, but was less in central, eastern and southern Chinese cities, Kang said.

(Xinhua News Agency September 17, 2003)