Experts blame perfume, hair gel for fuelling smog in Beijing

Beijing experts blame volatile organic compounds (VOC's) in hairspray, perfume and air fresheners in the city's air pollution problem, saying these compounds comprise 12% of PM2.5 in Beijing. VOC's are concentrated in aerosols like perfume, hair gel, insecticide and clearing agents as well as kitchen and gas stations. These VOCs do not directly produce PM2.5 but generate particle pollutants through a series of physical and chemical reactions.

A Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau report released in May said that life emissions account for 12 percent of the city's total emissions, which equal industrial emission sources. The ratio will decline in winter when coal burning increases and urban areas will see a higher concentration than the suburbs. Policies should be made to deal with indirect pollution sources since strict measures have already been taken on vehicles and coal burning which contribute to almost half of the total PM2.5 in Beijing.