Zhengzhou takes emergency measures to deal with ozone pollution. The authorities order VOCs-related enterprises to operate at different times.

Ozone pollution has hit the central city of Zhengzhou. From 8 a.m. on May 25th to 20 p.m. on May 29th, the city has urgently implemented moderate control measures for ozone pollution. Specifically, VOCs (volatile organic compounds) enterprises involved in air pollution are required to suspend production from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day and operate at other times. 

Ozone pollution is invisible and intangible. However, experts believe that ozone is more terrifying than PM2.5. Ozone can react with almost any biological tissue and is more destructive to the respiratory tract. 

According to the requirements of the Office of the Leading Group for Environmental Pollution Prevention and Control in Henan Province and the opinions of the expert group, the environmental protection and meteorological departments, due to unfavorable weather conditions, it is expected that Zhengzhou will continue to experience moderate ozone pollution from May 25th to 29th. Therefore, Zhengzhou has urgently implemented moderate control measures for ozone pollution. 

In the control measures against ozone pollution, the authorities require VOCs-related enterprises to operate at different times. Industrial coating enterprises such as container manufacturing and automobile manufacturing, as well as packaging printing enterprises such as books, newspapers, and packaging decoration, must adjust their production processes under unfavorable weather conditions such as high temperatures and must suspend production from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and operate at other times. 

At the same time, spray operations are carried out at different times. It is required that during the period from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. when the sunlight is intense, operations using organic solvents such as building wall painting decoration, road marking, and railing spraying be prohibited. During this period, the authorities will also strengthen the investigation and elimination of small, scattered, and unregulated polluting enterprises related to VOCs. 

According to analysis, ozone has become the main factor affecting the weather in the inland city of Zhengzhou. In 2016, there were 159 days of good air quality in the urban area of Zhengzhou. During the polluted weather, ozone was the "culprit" for 52 days, an increase of 43 days compared to 2015.