Mitigating construction dust pollution: State of the art and the way forward

Abstract

Along with China's modern industrialization, challenges on smog crisis are raising dramatically in the past decade. The sources of municipal smog are multiple and complex, one of which is construction dust emission due to the rapid urbanization. In literature, there are studies focusing on the end-pipe treatment of construction dust; however, very little research has been conducted from the perspective of dust mitigation in developing countries. To fill in this research gap, this paper investigates the current situation of construction dust prevention and control in China, with the aim of providing insights for mitigating dust pollution caused by the construction industry. Through a combination of the content analysis, on-site observation, questionnaire survey and interviews with experienced professionals, a total of 11 related regulations are thoroughly reviewed, and the main sources of construction dust production are identified. A case study is further presented to demonstrate the prevailing dust control measures on site. Recommendations are proposed in order to increase the awareness of related stakeholders, including formulation of targeted regulations, establishment of an appropriate charging scheme, development of a feasible monitoring system, and enhancement of training and dissemination.