Hebei hopes new lab will help find smog solutions

Hebei will escalate efforts to combat air pollution by joining with Beijing and Tianjin to set up a laboratory so it can release accurate early warnings and find fundamental solutions for smog in the province.

For decades Hebei, which surrounds the country's capital, has played an important role in guaranteeing Beijing's necessities and security. Regarding clean air, however, the province has struggled.

Special: Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei integration

In 2013, residents in Shijiazhuang, the capital city of Hebei province, experienced 151 days of air pollution exceeding the hazardous level. All 11 cities of the province counted only 129 days last year during which air quality was considered good, according to a report by the Department of Environmental Protection of Hebei.

In response to the lingering smog, the province has moved in the past year to reduce the emission of air pollutants by shutting down hundreds of high-polluting factories and by reducing outdated capacity in major industries such as steel, coal power and cement production.

In addition to these immediate steps, the province has paid more attention to finding fundamental solutions by turning to science and technology.

Guo Bin, a leading professor in environmental protection research at Hebei University of Science and Technology, said the current lack of systematic and targeted research has failed to give a thorough picture of the smog situation.

Thus, official decisions have not been based on scientific ground, which is why the province has urgent need for a lab, Guo said.

The laboratory, which will bring together experts and advanced technology in environmental protection, will focus on researching the sources of pollutants and the means by which they spread in Hebei.

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