Beijing installs 17,000 probes to control street barbecues  

北京1.7万探头监控露天烧烤 因其为PM2.5污染源

(ECNS) -- In an effort to reduce air pollution, China's smog-ridden capital is stepping up efforts to clamp down on unlicensed street barbecues. A total of 17,000 electric probes have been installed in the city to control such illegal businesses, the Beijing News reported on Tuesday.

Fines for street barbecue stalls will also be increased, said Wang Lianfeng, vice director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of City Administration and Law Enforcement.

"Outdoor barbecue sellers will face unlimited fines under a new air pollution control regulation," he added.

Outdoor barbecues have emerged as a major contributor to PM 2.5 in Beijing, said Pan Xiaochuan, a professor at Peking University Health Science Center.

Beijing was shrouded by heavy smog in January, and cooking emissions from eateries contributed to 13 percent of the PM2.5 pollution, said Wang Siyue, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The PM2.5 level around a street barbecue is twice as much as readings taken before the charcoal starts to burn, according to an onsite experiment by the Beijing News.