HONG KONG — The United States says it will expand air-quality monitoring at some overseas diplomatic missions, following several years of reporting pollution data in China.
The goal is to increase awareness of the health risks of outdoor air pollution, which easily spreads across borders, Secretary of State John Kerry said in announcing the program on Wednesday.
The program is intended to help United States citizens abroad reduce their exposure to pollution and to help other countries develop their own air-quality monitoring through training and exchanges with American experts, he said.
“We’re hoping that this tool can also expand international cooperation when it comes to curbing air pollution,” Mr. Kerry said.
The program, run in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency, will begin to operate in India in a few months. New Delhi has some of the world’s worst air pollution, and residents there are becoming increasingly concerned about the dangers.
American diplomatic missions will also monitor air quality in Vietnam, Mongolia and elsewhere, Mr. Kerry said.
In 2008, the United States Embassy in Beijing began monitoring levels of PM 2.5 — fine airborne particles that are particularly dangerous for human health — and posting hourly readings on Twitter.
The move angered the Chinese government, which said the information could threaten social stability. But the step also helped pressure Chinese environmental officials to expand their monitoring of air pollution and begin publishing their own air-quality reports.
