Environmental Status

In 2002, the provincial environmental quality level has been stable in general a turned better. The ambient air quality has maintained at the second grade of National Quality Standard, dust pollution has been reduced; number of cities with acid rain occurred has been reduced and the acid rain frequency has dropped a little. The water quality of drinking-water source and MajorRiver sections have been obviously improved, the percentage of cities with the overall drinking-water source water quality reached national standards has increased 13.6%. The water quality of major river and main river section in pearl river delta's maintain at good quality level; The major lakes and reservoirs can fulfill the water quality requirements of functional regions. Nearly 70% of overall near-coastal sea region functional water qualities in cities have met the standards. The percentage of total traffic road length with serious noise pollution (equivalent sound level> 70dB(A)) has decreased 16.8%. Radiation environmental management, nuclear station emergency treatment and the surrounding environment of nuclear station are in good condition.

1.City Environmental Quality

(1) City air quality

Provincial ambient air quality has been a bit better than last year; dust pollution has been reduced apparently. Air quality of the 22 provincial regional grade cities and Shunde has reached second grade, while Heyuan's air quality reached first grade.

Provincial urban air's annual daily average value of SO2 is between 0.003-0.064mg/m3, with a mean value of 0.022mg/m3, a bit higher than last year's value (0.021mg/m3). The provincial average level has reached the national second grade standards; none of the cities has exceeded the standards.

Provincial urban air's annual daily average value of NOx is between 0.006-0.064mg/m3, with a mean value of 0.027mg/m3, basically equal to last year's value (0.027mg/m3). The provincial average level has reached the national first grade standards; none of the cities has exceeded the standards.

Provincial urban air's annual daily average value (statistics from 13 cities) of inhalational particles (PM10) is between 0.044-0.098mg/m3, and the mean value has reached the national second grade standards; all the 13 cities have reached the national second grade standards.

Among the 22 cities, 9 of them have not carried out air quality automatic monitoring accordingly, they keep on the monitoring of TSP according to the original monitoring item. Provincial urban air's annual daily average value of total suspended particles is between 0.074-0.165 mg/m3 and the mean value is 0.118 mg/m3, 16.9% lower than last year's value (0.142 mg/m3), which has reached the national second grade standards.

(2)City precipitation

The quality of provincial urban precipitation is almost the same as last year's, average pH of precipitation is 4.82, which is 0.18 pH unit less than last year's; the provincial acid rain frequency is 40.5%, which is 4.9% lower than last year. Number of cites occurring acid rain has been reduced, still have 7 cities with serious acid rain occurred, which are Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Foushan, Qingyuan, Jiangmen, Shaoguan and Shunde.

(3)City drinking water

Compared with last year, the city drinking water quality has been improved a lot through out the province, the total percentage of reaching standards is 83.8%, 16.7% higher than last year. Except Zhaoqing city, all the percentage of reaching standard of the other 21 cities' drinking water has been improved, 17 of them have totally reached standard, stands 77%, 13.6% higher than last year. 58 drinking water sources have reached standards entirely, stands 86.6%. Xinfeng Reservoir of Heyuan has the best water quality, belongs to Grade I. Shenzhen city has the least items that reached standards and has the most exceed standards items, the major exceed standards items are NH3-N and total phosphorus.

(4)Urban soundenvironment

Provincial average value of environmental noise equivalent sound level in 22 urban region is between 50.9-57.9 dB (A), with a mean value of 54.9dB(A), 0.1dB(A) higher than last year, meet the request of national standard for daytime regional environmental noise (category No. 1). Among the 22 cities, the average value of environmental noise equivalent sound level in 12 cities have reduced, rest of them have increased a bit. Maomin city has the greatest amplitude; the noise pollution has becoming serious.

Provincial annual average value of traffic noise equivalent sound level in urban roads is between 66.4-68.8 dB (A), the annual average value of all cities is within standards of 70 dB (A). Zhongshan city has the highest annual average value. Compare with last year, 17cities'road traffic noise have been reduced. Provincial Length of road being noise monitored is 1627.5km, and those which urban road traffic noise has reached standard stands 80% of the total monitored road length, which is 3.6% higher than last year.

In the provincial average value of environmental noise equivalent sound level of 20 urban functional region, the percentage of exceeding standards is 22%, with daytime 9.8%, night time 36.4%; provincial comparability level has increased 0.7% than last year, the percentage of exceeding daytime standards increased 1.5%, no exceeding percentage in night time.

Among the functional region, all are beyond standards, percentage of exceeding standards are 37.5% in region of category No.0, 27.5% in region of category No. 1,7.5% in region of category No. 2, 5.6% in region of category No. 3 is lowest and 42.5% in region of category No. 4.

2.Water Environment

(1)River

The water quality of provincial major rivers belongs to Grade II. In 57 provincial controls River section that includes in the statistics, 39bof tem reached standards, stands 68.45%. Water quality of East Sea Channel, QingjiangRiver and Xixi river are excellent and belongs to Grade I, stands 5.3%. 28 of them are good and belong to Grade II, stands 49.1%. 9of them are fair and belongs to Grade III stands 15.8%. 5 of them are average and belong to Grade IV, stands 8.8%. 2 of them are bad and belong to Grade V, stands 3.5%. Water quality of 10 of them, which are Nanshan river, Long gang river, Pin Shan river, Dongguan Channel, Shenzhen river, Nianjiang river, Xiao Dongjiang river Maomin section, Xiao Dongjiang river Zhanjiang Section and Jiuzhou river, are worst and belongs to Grade Bad V, stands 17.5%.

From the view of overall, in this year water quality that is good are the main stream of major rivers and main stream channel in Pearl River Delta like Dongjiang river, West jiang river, Beijiang river, Meijiang river, Hanjiang river, Moyang river, Tanjiang river. Of bad water quality are river sections in cities and small rivers that go through cities, the main pollution index are NH3-N, oil and aerobic organic compound. As for agricultural pollution source and area source pollution are organic pollutants.

Compared with last year, the overall water qualities of rivers have been improved. The integrated pollution index has been reduced, the water pollution that has been less are North river Shaoguan Section, Wujiang River, Longgang river, Sha River, Foushan Water Channel, Pingzhou Water Channel, Shiqiao Water Channel, Qianshan River, Jian River Zhanjiang Section, and Xiao Dongjiang River Zhanjiang Section. The integrated pollution index has been increased, the water pollution that has been worse are PinShanRiver, Dongguan Channel, ShenzhenRiver, NingRiver and NianRiver.

(2)Lakes and Reservoirs

Compared with last year, the water quality of lakes and reservoirs hasn't changed much. Water quality of Gaozhou Reservoir and XinghuLake has reached standards, belongs to grade II, water quality is good. As for Hedi Reservoir and Feilaixie reservoir belongs to Grade III because of the exceeding items total Nitrogen is beyond Grade II standard. HuizhouLake belongs to Grade IV because of the exceeding items total Nitrogen is beyond Grade III standard.

(4)Near-coastal sea region

There are 13 cities carrying out the water quality monitoring of near-coastal sea-functional region. 9 of them has reached standard, stands 69.2%, with 7 of them belongs to Grade II, 2 of them belongs to Grade III; 4 of them has exceed the standards, which are Guangzhou, Zhongshan, Dongguan and Shenzhen, all belongs to Grade IV, stands 30.8%. There are 3 of them with active phosphate and inorganic Nitrogen exceeds standards, 2 of them with Pb exceed standards, and 1 of them with BOD exceeds standards.

As for the integrated pollution index, the pollution is more serious in the Guangzhou, Zhongshan and Dongguan sections, while Huizhou and Jieyang have a better seawater quality.

3.Ecological Environment

(1) Forest

By the end of 2001, the area of provincial forestry lands is 10.233milliom hectares, the area of woodlands is 7.089 million hectares and the area of ecological commonweal woodland is 3.573 million hectares, which stands 33% of woodlands area.

In the whole year, had completed the forest plantation on 57.56 thousands of hectares deserted mountains and deserts, 68.92 thousands hectares of renovation of traced land and 43.5 thousands hectares of reconstruction of low-productive woods area. Number of voluntary tree planted is 90.03 million trunks

The total woods provincial production is 1741 m3, the total woods wastage is 675m3;the total amount of growing stock is 33949m3, is 1092m3 more than last year. Forestry coverage is 57.2%, 0.1% more than last year.

In the whole year, number of forest fire occurred is 1677 times, among that is 40 times fire alter, normal forest fire 127 times, overshoot area is 2525 hectares, suffered injured forest area 965 hectares.

(2) Urban Gardening and Virscence

By the end of 2001, greenery coverage of urban construction region is 33.2 %, 0.68 % more than last year; percentage of greenbelt in urban construction region is 29.73%, 0.77 % higher than data of 2001; the average urban public greenbelt per person is7.64 m2, 0.1 % less than that of 2001.

(3)Land

By the end of 2002, provincial plantation area is 3068.6 thousand hectares, 2% less than last year; basic farmland conservation area is 2849.3 thousands hectares 2.8% more than last year. In the same year, the area of soil erosion control is 60 thousand hectares. By the end of the year, there is still 1052 thousand hectares of soil erosion area. The same year, re-cultivate area of mining lands is 1084.42hectares, about 28.5 % of the 3799.87 hectares promised re-cultivate lands.

4. Radiation Environment

The provincial nuclear station emergency response and the surrounding environment of nuclear power station is good, the radiation monitoring system is operating well, and the nuclear power station emergency response work is carrying out normally.

The No.2 unit of Da Yawan Nuclear Power Station and the No.1 unit of LinAo Nuclear Power Station are under good operation condition. The annual radioactivity nuclide emission is under national limit, is the lowest level in the past years. The environmental radioactivity level has no changes, compare with the condition before the nuclear station is operated.

As for the radiation monitoring done to the surrounding of the radiation waste storage( including ¦Ã radiation measurement, aerosol, soil, underground water, ground water, concentration of radon) showed no obvious changes occurred to the surrounding environmental radioactivity level.

The Environmental electromagnetism radiation mainly comes from communications, radio and television injection station and electrical transmission facilities. The monitoring results showed that provincial radiation level around most of the electromagnetism source are within national standard limit, belongs to positive wave communication injection station high level electromagnetism radiation level. Some of measurement points that are located near antenna are beyond national standards limit, and further supervision is needed. Inside the high-voltage electricity transmission and transformer system, the power frequency electric field intensity near the major transformer belongs to high level; some of the measurement points are beyond national limit.