RTI International developing model to improve air quality in China’s Jiangsu province

JIANGSU, CHINA — In an effort to reduce regional air pollution in China, RTI International has been awarded a contract from China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection to provide technical assistance for improving air quality in China’s Jiangsu province.  Funding for this project was made possible through a U.S. Trade and Development Agency grant. 

The project aims to create an air quality management framework that can also assist other cities and regions in China in developing effective air quality plans. The project will be conducted in collaboration with China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

“We are very excited to be working with the Jiangsu province on this very important project,” said Rebecca Nicholson, vice president of RTI’s Environmental Engineering and Economics Division and the project director. “With an office and staff in China, we are very aware of the air quality management challenges faced by China and are strongly motivated to ensure this project is successful.”

As part of the three-year, $842,000 award, RTI will develop a model regional air quality plan to reduce PM2.5 particles and other key air pollutants to target levels, based on U.S. best practices and solutions. The project will focus on near-term required air pollution reduction targets, and plan long-term strategies for air quality improvement in the region.   

PM2.5 refers to particulate matter that is up to 2.5 microns in diameter. The particles are small enough to enter small airways of the human respiratory system and have been linked to respiratory disease and other adverse health effects. Studies have shown that life expectancy is significantly affected by the amount of particulate pollution in the air, especially PM2.5 particles. 

RTI has conducted projects in China since 1997 and opened an office in Beijing in 2011.