Quantifying the Air Pollutants Emission Reduction during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing

Air quality was a vital concern for the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008. To strictly control air pollutant emissions and ensure good air quality for the Games, Beijing municipal government announced an Air Quality Guarantee Plan for the 29th Olympics in Beijing. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the guarantee plan, this study analyzed the air pollutant emission reductions during the 29th Olympiad in Beijing. In June 2008, daily emissions of SO2, NOX, PM10, and NMVOC in Beijing were 103.9 t, 428.5 t, 362.7 t and 890.0 t, respectively. During the Olympic Games, the daily emissions of SO2, NOX, PM10, and NMVOC in Beijing were reduced to 61.6 t, 229.1 t, 164.3 t, and 381.8 t -41%, 47%, 55%, and 57% lower than June 2008 emission levels. Closing facilities producing construction materials reduced the sector's SO2 emissions by 85%. Emission control measures for mobile sources, including high-emitting vehicle restrictions, government vehicle use controls, and alternate day driving rules for Beijing's 3.3 million private cars, reduced mobile source NOX and NMVOC by 46% and 57%, respectively. Prohibitions on building construction reduced the sector's PM10 emissions by approximately 90% or total PM10 by 35%. NMVOC reductions came mainly from mobile source and fugitive emission reductions. Based on the emission inventories developed in this study, the CMAQ model was used to simulate Beijing's ambient air quality during the Olympic Games. The model results accurately reflect the environmental monitoring data providing evidence that the emission inventories in this study are reasonably accurate and quantitatively reflect the emission changes attributable to air pollution control measures taken during the 29th Olympic Games in 2008.