Pollution in Harbin (air, water...)

[bailing]

hi!

I would like to know from people currently living in Harbin if the air pollution is really so scary as usually depicted on the net...

Apparently Harbin and Changchun score better than 1st tier cities from May till the end of summer (at least checking aqichina) . 

But is it really like that? 

Also, is it advisable to buy water filters in Harbin? 

I travel to China twice a year (Guangzhou area), and I know just a few expatriates wearing masks and using water filters, but Guangzhou is different from Harbin...

thank you in advance for your comments

 

[MarsBlackman]

I spent considerable time in Harbin from 2012-2014. The air is significantly worse in the winter than the summer and is like pictures you've seen in the news. I was okay running and cycling outside in the summer. However, the summer has gotten progressively worse each year. You have a lot of clear days in the summer, but its seems like they've gotten fewer and farther between. I absolutely recommend masks in the winter. My lunges were uncomfortable from taking walks outside on bad days in the winter without a mask, and I'm in my 20s and a non-smoker. 

 

I've never bought water filters in China. I've always boiled water or bought bottled water. If you're in Harbin, you should just stick to beer. 

[kdavid]

I lived in Harbin from 2006-14.

 

In the last two years I lived there, the winters were incredibly grim. The coal furnaces get turned on late October and turned off mid-April. During that time, the AQI was consistently above 150, with more days over 300 than not. There were very few blue-sky days. There would be an occasional respite following a snow storm, as precipitation cleared the sky.

 

Late spring, summer, early autumn were much better; especially the rainy season. And by "much better," I mean under 150, with the average around 70-80 (WHO suggests school closures at 80 in America).

 

With all that said, the situation isn't going to be much better elsewhere. You'll need N95 face masks anywhere you go. I also recommend bottled water over tap (even boiled). Don't bother with a water filter. If you're staying long-term, I'd also recommend an in-door air filter. I wouldn't exercise outside unless the AQI was 30 or under (so don't plan on running outside, ever).

 

Air and water pollution alone claim over a million premature deaths per year in China. The average life expectancy is decreased 5 - 10 years.

 

Otherwise, Harbin is a great city. The people are very friendly. Public transport system is robust, making it easy to get around. The cold weather can be grueling, but if you dress in layers you'll be fine. It's also, arguably, the best place to learn Mandarin due to its standard accent and low foreign population. Lots of great food.

[James W.]

Harbin's air is some of the cleanest air of any major Chinese city.   In most of the year (e.g., right now, as I am living in Harbin for the summer) the air is pristine.  It's gotten a poor reputation because the old Soviet style heating systems (central boilers, coal powered, with steam piped underground) puffs out a lot of dirt when it is fired up at the start of the winter (usually mid-November where you have about 5 very bad days).  You get a sensationalist press pouncing on a temporary problem.  The Harbin government is aware of the hit on their image, and is working to replace the system.    

 

I don't know about water; I always drink bottled water, in both the US and China.  It's more convenient than a filter.

[eliaso]

"Harbin's air is some of the cleanest air of any major Chinese city."

 

More like, it used to be.

 

"In most of the year (e.g., right now, as I am living in Harbin for the summer) the air is pristine."

 

Like about two weeks ago when during the morning AQI all of a sudden jumped up to 500 (or who knows what it actually was) and then by midday it started raining and it was literally dirt coming down from the sky. You saw all the cars outside, covered in dirt? I was unfortunately outside when that happened. After the rain tho, yes, the air was pristine. As of writing this, AQI is mostly around 80-10 in different locations in the city. That is not pristine. However, yes, there are days with blue skies.

 

Kdavid, I have a faint memory of you writing about how you've had drank boiled tap water for several years in Harbin. If so, what has made you change your mind about that?

[Basil]

I, for one, greet my future Chinese Morlock overlords, and hope I will be exposed to enough pollution so as to evolve fast enough to join them...

 

Bottled water, boiled water?

 

You should drink straight from the source - the rivers, and bathe in the sea, preferably appreciably close to some effluent pipe or other.

[kdavid]

Kdavid, I have a faint memory of you writing about how you've had drank boiled tap water for several years in Harbin. If so, what has made you change your mind about that?

 

 

This was the case for the first several years I lived in Harbin, as I was unaware of the heavy metals in the water.

 

I was presuming the only thing I had to worry about what bacteria and other microbes.

 

That drinking boiled water is a bad idea occurred after a several-day-long water stoppage. After the water was finally turned back on, it ran a brownish red for about 15 minutes. The water is normally "clear" because all that junk is carried out bit by bit (and into your food, body, etc.), but it accumulates in the pipes when there's no water flushing it out, making it more obvious.

 

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the bottled water I had been purchasing was any better. They could have been boiling and bottling right downstairs and I wouldn't have been the wiser. I suppose I wanted to believe it was cleaner, and that made me sleep (a little) better at night.

[kdavid]

Harbin's air is some of the cleanest air of any major Chinese city.

 

 

According to Green Peace, Harbin ranks 22nd in most polluted cities in China.

 

"Harbin's air is some of the cleanest air of any major Chinese city."

 

More like, it used to be.

 

 

I agree with this. The winters used to be gorgeous. Things really only got bad beginning with the winter of 2012. Not sure what happened.

[ChTTay]

 

the AQI was consistently above 150

 

This is the same as Beijing most days. Even this summer there have been days between 200-300.

 

Regarding exercise outdoors, the pollution levels inside can be 60-80% of what is outside so on those 300+ days you might want to consider doing nothing too strenuous or having a rest day. Alternatively, buy an air purifier and exercise at home with that on.

[gato]

According to Green Peace, Harbin ranks 22nd in most polluted cities in China.

That's a good source. Harbin's most polluted day of the year had average daily PM2.5 level of 756, near the top in the country. Only Lanfang's was higher at 772.

[imron]

That's a good source.

Who in turn sourced their information from official data published by the Ministry of Environmental Protection for the year of 2013.

 

So if it's official data, you can probably expect the real data to be even worse.

[kdavid]

Regarding exercise outdoors, the pollution levels inside can be 60-80% of what is outside.

 

 

I've always wondered about this. Where did you get this figure from and what types of factors play into it?