Zero fireworks credited for good air into Chinese New Year

Shanghai's air quality was good and remained stable during Chinese New Year's Eve, a reflection of the successful firework ban in most of the city's urban areas.

From midnight on Monday to 7am on Tuesday, the average concentration of PM2.5 was measured below 20 micrograms per cubic meter, and in the 12 hours leading up to midnight the overall air quality was "good."

Shanghai has banned the use of fireworks and firecrackers in the area within the Outer Ring Road since 2016.

On Chinese New Year's Eve in 2013 and 2014, the concentration of PM2.5 surged to 524 and 290 micrograms per cubic meter from fireworks and firecrackers after midnight. In 2015, the peak concentration of the pollutant was 67 micrograms per cubic meter at 1am, doubling the number measured at midnight.

At 1am on New Year's Day this year, most areas in Shanghai had concentrations of PM2.5 measured at below 35 micrograms per cubic meter, except for the north of Chongming Island and Zhoupu Town in the Pudong New Area. The highest concentration was measured in Zhoupu, which was 75 micrograms per cubic meter, while the districts with the best air were Huangpu, Changning and Jinshan, with concentrations of PM2.5 at 15 micrograms per cubic meter.

Meanwhile, about 30,000 street cleaners were working on Monday evening cleaning up after celebrations, the government said.

From Monday evening until the early morning of Tuesday, a total of 1,024 kilograms of fireworks and firecrackers were cleaned up from the streets where their use is still permitted, 57 percent less than last year.

Shanghai police said on Tuesday that no use of fireworks and firecrackers was discovered within the Outer Ring Road, and they received no reports of offenses from residents.

Over 30,000 police officers and 250,000 community safety volunteers patrolled the streets and residential complexes on Monday to enforce the firework ban.