High altitude monitor elevates fight against air pollution

A balloon tethered to a vehicle and equipped with air quality monitoring equipment rose into the air at the Fengxian Campus of East China University of Science and Technology on Friday.

A balloon tethered to a vehicle and equipped with air quality monitoring equipment rose into the air at the Fengxian Campus of East China University of Science and Technology on Friday as the first high-attitude and stereoscopic environmental observation center in Shanghai was established.

School officials said the equipment on the balloon would collect data about fine particles in the air such as the readings and distribution characteristics of tiny PM2.5 particles at different heights within 1,000 meters, providing a reference for the city in preventing air pollution.

Wei Huajun, director of the Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center, said it was an urgent and pressing task to study the air pollution. The center will keep a record of air pollutantion data for further analysis that can help the government take measures and adjust policies to combat air pollution.