Air pollution of China's tea growing provinces

[chrl42]

Since it's fun


http://aqicn.org/city/hangzhou/（Long Jing, AQI - Air Quality Index listed as unhealthy)
- The result is shocking, according to the data, it's worse than Shanghai. Almost comparable to Beijing..and no comparable cities in N America and europe to name. It wasn't like this when I first visited Hangzhou 7 years ago , the government did control the pollution back then.

http://aqicn.org/city/suzhou/ (Biluochun, AQI=unhealthy)
- Slightly better than Hangzhou, Suzhou is just a next little city to Shanghai.

Huangshan (Huangshan Maofeng and Taiping Houkui, AQI=good (another source)) currently no data on adicn.org but according to http://www.tianqi.com/air/ the air pollution in Huangshan district looks quite ok, it is AAAAA-rated National Heritage of China.

http://aqicn.org/city/zhejiang/huzhoushi/anjichengdong (Anji Baicha, AQI=moderate)
- I've always thought the condition in Anji county to be good, and that's how I heard. But the data doesn't agree so, although it's just a part of the data and whole county.

http://aqicn.org/?city=CN%3AHenan/信阳/浉河区/市酿酒公司 (Xin Yang Mao Jian, AQI=unhealthy)
-Xin Yang is an industrial city pretty much of now, a polluted city.

http://aqicn.org/city/china/leshan/leshandafujingqu/ (Zhu Ye Qing, AQI=unhealthy for the sensitives)
-It's just today's data, looks it's ok for other days though.

http://aqicn.org/city/jiujiang/ (Lushan Yunwu, AQI=unhealthy)
A place of Lushan Yunwu is not very good as one can expect, but better than places of LJ and Biluochun)

Wuyishan (Yancha, Zhengshan Xiaozhong and Jin Jun Mei AQI=good (Chinese source))
-no data on English site, but according to Chinese one, the pollution of Wuyi/Nanping districts are quite ok.

http://aqicn.org/city/chaozhou/ (Dancong, AQI=moderate)

http://aqicn.org/city/kunming/ (north from Puerh producing area, AQI=moderate)
And the weather condition in Xishuang Banna would be better.

Unlike few years ago, the air pollution index of Guangdong and Fujian provinces are quite ok (I mean, in Chinese standard) that cover all of Oolong producing areas including Taiwan and White producing area.

And *it's just to get a glimpse of it and DOES NOT represent the actual condition of whereabouts since the data only offer 2-day's history and NOT the very datas from the tea growing areas*. Chances are tea growing areas would be better than the measured areas in the quality index.

[jayinhk]

One thing I was happy about in Hainan was the air quality...but pesticide residue is a whole other ball game when talking tea!

[chrl42]

One thing I was happy about in Hainan was the air quality...but pesticide residue is a whole other ball game when talking tea!

Yep..pesticides and soil condition are another important parts...just no data

[William]

Thanks for the data, Charlie!

[chrl42]

Thanks for the data, Charlie!

It looks like the pollution lies within traditional green tea producing provinces (except Huangshan and other)..northern areas along with Yangtze river

Yunnan is considered rather 'safe' district (that's why Puerh price skyrockets?)...and Oolong producing regions are also safer that I thought.

BTW, you can see the whole map of the world regarding the air pollution, that just sums up why they call China a 'world's factory'

[William]

It looks like the pollution lies within traditional green tea producing provinces (except Huangshan and other)..northern areas along with Yangtze river

Odd enough. I would have bet on the Pu Erh market!

[wyardley]

http://aqicn.org/city/hangzhou/（Long Jing, AQI - Air Quality Index listed as unhealthy)
- The result is shocking, according to the data, it's worse than Shanghai.

I have an acquaintance who recently visited the Shanghai area, and I asked if the air quality was better out in Hangzhou, Suzhou, etc., expecting it to be much better. I was shocked when she said exactly this, that the air was actually worse than in Shanghai.

[chrl42]

http://aqicn.org/city/hangzhou/（Long Jing, AQI - Air Quality Index listed as unhealthy)
- The result is shocking, according to the data, it's worse than Shanghai.

I have an acquaintance who recently visited the Shanghai area, and I asked if the air quality was better out in Hangzhou, Suzhou, etc., expecting it to be much better. I was shocked when she said exactly this, that the air was actually worse than in Shanghai.

I think it's inevitable since China is the factory of the world.

Right now I am in Qingdao, and it looks like there are factories everywhere, except Mt.Lao district..many would assume Beijing to be the most serious city when it comes to pollution, but the truth is Beijing is NOT in the list of national top 10 the most polluted cities in China because the government monitor every step inner and outer Beijing.

Talking about Shanghai-Hangzhou-Suzhou...and with their line connected with Yangtze river and the sea..these areas are also of most industrial district in China..I mean the whole Jiangsu province not just the downstream of Yangtze. The situation in Shandong, Hebei or Henan are no exception. Factory everywhere.

[chingwa]

I was in China back in 2010 and the air quality was horrendous. I was in Beijing, then Xi'an, then Hong Kong. Looking out the window during my flights I saw a constant impenetrable yellow blanket of smog across the ENTIRE country.

The pollution was a bit better down south and in Hong Kong, but holy smokes Beijing smog was incredible, never seen anything like it and I'm sure it took a couple years off my lifespan.

I feel bad for the people who live in that every day.

[chrl42]

I was in China back in 2010 and the air quality was horrendous. I was in Beijing, then Xi'an, then Hong Kong. Looking out the window during my flights I saw a constant impenetrable yellow blanket of smog across the ENTIRE country.

The pollution was a bit better down south and in Hong Kong, but holy smokes Beijing smog was incredible, never seen anything like it and I'm sure it took a couple years off my lifespan.

I feel bad for the people who live in that every day.

Yet those factories give them a food to live and salary to spend.

Or they can choose to live in cleaner environment and become poor.

Like those days before Deng Xiao-ping....I think it's just a step for a developing country

[chingwa]

I think it's just a step for a developing country

This is probably so.... though some part of me wants to say it shouldn't have to be this way. Sure other countries have gone through this before in the last 200 years, but you'd think that in the 21st century there would be other ways to develop wealth and prosperity without such horrible health and environment effects... or at least governments would be able to learn from the mistakes of others in the past...

governments... learn... pfft... what am I saying..?!

[joelbct]

Bumping this, because: Westlake, Hangzhou air quality is lately worse than NYC, but about equal to Seattle Washington. Has anyone else been following this over a longer term than the past week? Is there any actual evidence for LJ having any more toxins present than does any other tea?

Westlake, Hangzhou (Longjing area): http://aqicn.org/city/zhejiang/hangzhoushi/wolongqiao/ (PM2.5 AQI 2-day max: 132)
8-day forecast max, 174 http://aqicn.org/forecast/asia/#s:721

Bronx, NYC: http://aqicn.org/city/usa/newyork/is-52/ (PM2.5 AQI 2-day max: 53)
8-day forecast max 154: http://aqicn.org/city/usa/newyork/is-52/

Seattle: http://aqicn.org/city/usa/washington/se ... outh-park/ (PM2.5 AQI 2-day max: 165)
8-day forecast max, 175: http://aqicn.org/forecast/world/#s:144

Maybe I can scrape the data for 12 months and make some pretty graphs, to influence how nervous I should be abt drinking LJ, compared to eating Mt Rainier Cherries...

[Hmm]

Bumping this, because: Westlake, Hangzhou air quality is lately worse than NYC, but about equal to Seattle Washington. Has anyone else been following this over a longer term than the past week? Is there any actual evidence for LJ having any more toxins present than does any other tea?

Westlake, Hangzhou (Longjing area): http://aqicn.org/city/zhejiang/hangzhoushi/wolongqiao/ (PM2.5 AQI 2-day max: 132)
8-day forecast max, 174 http://aqicn.org/forecast/asia/#s:721

Bronx, NYC: http://aqicn.org/city/usa/newyork/is-52/ (PM2.5 AQI 2-day max: 53)
8-day forecast max 154: http://aqicn.org/city/usa/newyork/is-52/

Seattle: http://aqicn.org/city/usa/washington/se ... outh-park/ (PM2.5 AQI 2-day max: 165)
8-day forecast max, 175: http://aqicn.org/forecast/world/#s:144

Maybe I can scrape the data for 12 months and make some pretty graphs, to influence how nervous I should be abt drinking LJ, compared to eating Mt Rainier Cherries...

Seattle is experiencing major amounts of forest fire smoke/soot from BC, Canada. It's a fairly temporary thing, and usually the air quality is MUCH better. I was just earlier last week telling someone that the air around Seattle feels similar to China right now.

I don't actually think forest fire soot really affects how healthy it is to eat vegetation with heavy amounts of "soot/smoke".

[MarcusReed]

Glad I prefer the wuyi tea.
Sounds like as far as pollution I should do some reasrch and chemical analysis to determine if any nasty pesticides are used.

[InternPrimas]

Any news on Fujian?