University unveils new air purifier technology
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E-mail China Daily, January 7, 2014
Yang Xin, an environmental expert at Fudan University, expressed optimism about the invention.
"In recent years, air cleaners have become more and more popular among residents. A well-designed air purifier will undoubtedly play an important role in improving air quality," he said.
Poor air quality has been heatedly discussed by the public recently as smog enveloped many cities in autumn and winter. PM2.5 has become the country’s primary polluter and also the main source of indoor air pollution.
In Beijing, the average PM2.5 reading in 2013 was more than double the national standard, according to a Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau report earlier this month.
On average, heavy air pollution occurred every six or seven days in the city, said Zhang Dawei, director of the Beijing Environmental Monitoring Center.
Shanghai, a city whose air was once considered clean, saw its Air Quality Index reach nearly 500 on Dec 6. An index reading over 300 is considered "hazardous", the highest in a six-tier rating system of air quality.
Persistent smog across the country has prompted a surge in sales of dust masks and air cleaners. Sales of air-cleaning machines in 2013 increased 420 percent year-on-year, according to JD.com, China’s e-commerce giant.
"So far, this technology is very developed, and it has already been awarded a patent. We are now looking for manufacturers to help bring this product to market," Shangguan said.
The research team said the retail price of the new air purifier would be competitive with similar machines on the market from big international brands like Blueair, Daikin, Philips and Siemens. The price is expected to be 3,000 yuan ($496) to 6,000 yuan depending on the size of the room it’s used for.
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