The Chinese Pollution Monster

Numerous citizens have spoken out about it, trying to have something done, only to be arrested and imprisoned for "counterrevolutionary activities" or some such 1984ish sounding offense.

There are some concerned people in their government, but they're not getting much traction in the circles of power.

Hello Bill,

Glad to see you here on the forums again. 

What you are saying about the non-aqueous dyeing process is very interesting

Can you explain this in more detail?

China has many problems trying to establish a manufacturing economy and control the effects on the environment.  I'm sure that they don't always make good choices and repress complaints when they don't.  But I'm old enough to recall many bad choices that we made here in the west.  They have many poor people; we could help them with our experience and knowledge.

Hello Monica,

Thank you very much for sharing your perspective.  I suspected a little deception from that pic - but it is hard to know for sure from the perspective of somebody who has not visited China before.

I do know that we had guests in our home this summer who live in Hong Kong, and they made the comment that any government discussion of environmental regulations in China is nothing more than rhetoric... in other words they say the Chinese government is only pretending to care about the environment, while actually doing very little.

I for one am extremely interested in this topic.  Is this true, or is it just like the pic posted by Dedulous on the original posting here? 

Do for example plating and metal finishing operations in China have to use the same pollution control technology such as air scrubbers, and fume collection systems on plating lines? 

Or what are typical discharge limits for waste treatment systems in these same operations like Cr. for instance?

I think that until I visit myself, I will never know the truth, but an honest answer to these questions would help in my estimation of the situation from afar.

Thanks for your contribution on the Finishing Talk forum, and I look forward to reading your response.

Hello All...

Monica it is nice to see you on the forums! You have very good English skills!

China DOES have a pollution problem and action MUST be taken to reduce it. This has more to do with the population of China than it has to do with their Metal Finishing "methods".

This pollution IS affecting the rest of the world, especially the West Coast. But, instead of complaining about it,America needs to develop a solution to the problem. Whether the solution is: alternative energy, better procedures, or air cleaning scrubbers.

China WILL buy this technology as the people of China want clean air! Then we can sell it to other countries such as India.

While I have not yet been to China, my mother spends about 6/months of the year there. I know China IS trying to clean up its act, but with 1.3 BILLION people it's a hard thing to do... The rest of the world should take a note of the affect over population has on not only nations but the WORLD, else - its only a matter of time before we are in the same boat.

Griffe Youngleson

Hello Monica,  Sorry it took me so long to respond to your earlier comments on this China Pollution thread... I wanted to do a little research before I wrote back. 

A local manufacturer of hand tools in the US recently shared with me that their permissible limit of discharge for CAD. You have said that the limit for CAD discharge in China is >>0.1mg/L and 0.05mg/L for any new... companies<<   The CAD discharge limit at this particular facility is 0.015 mg/l – which I believe to be a common acceptable discharge level all over the country !  I'm no doctor - but I have to believe that 10x more CAD in discharged water can not be a good thing.

I understand your comment about China being a developing Country.  I also realize that so many mistakes have been made here in the US, and in Europe before China started to "develop" so when Chinese regulations are set below the standards that others before them have found to be insufficient - they are basically repeating past mistakes (repeating past mistakes to me is the definition of insanity) So in my opinion, if China is on this path of development - they MUST look to the rest of the world and LEARN from the mistakes that have been made before them.... as that would be more true to the term "development".

I think if China is going to truly develop – it has to use and implement the best known technology and practices that have painstakingly been determined by the engineers, scientists, and those who ended up drinking water with 10x too much CAD in it.

I do however agree with, and can appreciate, your comments about “rhetoric” from the politicians…. It seems that we here in the US are as full of this as any country ever was.

Thank you so much for sharing this information.

Paul Fisher | Create Your Badge

Pollution is something that we should be alarmed of, specially China and countries near China. I hope that the government should do something out of it. Here in our area, we are doing our best to improve and minimize pollution and take care of the water. We conserve water, do some wastewater treatment system, etc.