City to put heat on the control of air quality

By Cai Wenjun  |   2008-7-3  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

RULES relating to cleaning air-conditioning systems in public venues will be tightened next month.

The Shanghai Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision said yesterday it would issue a detailed regulation backed by punishment clauses.

Officials from the Shanghai Indoor Environment Purifying Association welcomed the move.

The current rule is very general without penalty clauses for those delivering poor-quality indoor air, they said.

Health supervision agencies which have carried out spot checks and research since last year found most central air-conditioning systems don't have regular and professional cleaning.

"Our targets for air-quality checks are business venues over 2,000 square meters like hotels and shopping malls," said Chen Xianhua, an official at Huangpu District Health Supervision Agency.

"We check for a list of items including formaldehyde, carbon dioxide, bacteria and humidity. We don't check the frequency of air-conditioner cleaning and can only ask those with poor air quality to fix it."

He said the new regulation may give more enforceable direction and punishment and "cover office buildings and other emerging business facilities like stock exchanges and Internet cafes."

The industry association said it had already taken action. It launched the nation's first project to ensure public venues of good air quality early this year.

"We plan to name 300 office buildings and other public venues like schools and kindergartens to be examples of outstanding indoor air quality facilities by 2010. Three office buildings and one kindergarten have passed the test," said Qiu Jun from the association.

"We do the check after receiving an application."

Experts from the association test for harmful chemicals in the air and check the maintenance company's management.