60 percent of Chinese people worried about indoor air quality, survey reveals

Sixty percent of Chinese people are worried about indoor air quality, and the majority want improvement in indoor air in public facilities and the workplace according to a new survey initiated by Hone

Sixty percent of Chinese people are worried about indoor air quality, and the majority want improvement in indoor air in public facilities and the workplace according to a new survey initiated by Honeywell. The “Chinese Attention on Indoor Air Quality Survey” also revealed that while nearly 80 percent of respondents consider household air purification an absolute necessity, many lack knowledge of air-cleaning technologies and products.

Organized jointly by Honeywell and the China Indoor Air Quality Industry Association through the independent market research company, Ipsos, the survey was designed to gain a better understanding of the Chinese public’s awareness, concerns and expectations regarding indoor air quality. The survey collected data from over 2,000 respondents from 10 cities across China.

The survey found that 60 percent of respondents from different regions across China were dissatisfied with indoor air quality, with 50 percent of them reporting health issues among colleagues, friends, and family caused by breathing polluted indoor air.

The research also showed 57 percent of respondents expressed greater concerns about indoor air quality in public places than in their homes, where they could more easily exercise control. Nearly half (46 percent) of the respondents realized the urgent necessity of improving indoor air quality at the workplace.

In addition, crowded public places such as train/metro stations and airports are rated as having the worst indoor air quality, and 66 percent of respondents suggested that the air quality at these places should be monitored and made public. The survey also found that 47 percent of respondents said they would be willing to pay a little extra money to enjoy better air quality indoors.

“Most people spend 80 percent of their day indoors. And the survey shows that Chinese people aren’t just worried about indoor air quality — they would like to see it improved, especially in areas beyond their direct control, such as public facilities and workplaces,” said Stephen Shang, President and CEO of Honeywell China. “That’s why Honeywell is committed to improving indoor air quality and dedicated to the development of innovative products that will increase the quality and security of daily life.”

The survey demonstrates that Chinese citizens now have a high awareness about the importance of improving indoor air quality. While 78 percent of survey respondents consider air purification a household necessity, 54 percent have purchased a device of some type to improve air quality in their homes.

Interestingly, even when they have bought an air-cleaning device, over half of survey respondents doubt whether their device is doing any good (56 percent). In addition, the vast majority (84%) question whether it is functioning as it is supposed to.

According to Dr Wang Li, a senior research fellow at Honeywell Technology Solutions in China who specializes in air-cleaning technologies and solutions, consumers appear to be are more familiar with devices that dehumidify or remove odors than those that actually clean the air. Those core technologies include medium filtration, electrostatic filtration, and fresh air systems.

“That might explain why only 16 percent of respondents said their purifiers were functioning as expected and 56 percent said they were uncertain if their purifiers were actually effective. More knowledge about critically important technologies could make a tremendous difference to indoor air quality,” said Dr Wang Li.

Dr Wang’s view was echoed by Honeywell China President and CEO Stephen Shang. “It is important for industry players, including Honeywell, to provide more information and education on how air-cleaning solutions operate, while working with the scientific community to develop, enhance and apply new technologies in new products,” he said.

Expectations on companies, property managers and government

In recent years, local laws and regulations on indoor air quality management have been enacted in several Chinese cities, but the supervision of indoor air quality in public places remains a gray area due to the confusion of responsibilities and ambiguity of duties.

The office is considered as the most important public place to improve indoor air quality, with nearly 64 percent saying they must be equipped with air-cleaning equipment, while 76 percent report that their current workplaces are not equipped with or are unsure if there are any air-cleaning products.

Respondents expect the organization they work for, the office property management, and the government to improve indoor air quality at the workplace. A combined 62 percent of respondents suggested that either the company (35 percent) or the property management (27 percent) should take the responsibility of monitoring and creating better air quality in the office. Another 20 percent think the government should formulate relevant policies and supervise the control and monitoring of air quality in the workplace.

“Company, property management, and government should team up for better indoor air quality. We also need to quickly roll out technical standards and specifications that can help to ensure the healthy development of the air purification industry and improvement of air quality in public places. Only in this way would we be able to accommodate the expectations of the general public,” said Deng Gaofeng, Secretary-General of China Indoor Air Quality Industry Association.

Air pollution will be regarded as one of the toughest challenges for China for the foreseeable future. Over the years, Honeywell air-cleaning technologies have been widely applied to aerospace and critical industrial fields and there has been a proven record that these technologies could perfectly meet requirements. Innovative products range from high-performance personal protective equipment, devices for accurate air quality monitoring, to a variety of indoor air-cleaning solutions that have become the first choice for many commercial buildings and households across the country.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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