Air quality in Chinese office blocks 'not good enough'

The air quality in the office blocks in one of China's major cities is below acceptable standards, it has been claimed.

A survey undertaken by the Qingdao Indoor Furnishing Industry Association found that 80 per cent of office buildings situated in Qingdao in Shandong province do not meet national standards.

This could pose a threat to the health of those that work within them, the organisation highlighted.

The report stated: "When heating systems are running, there is a lack of proper ventilation in the offices, as windows tend to be kept closed. This leads to a buildup of pollutants in the air that can be harmful to people's health."

While surveying a total of 98 office buildings, the organisation found that, in some cases, acceptable levels of pollutants were exceeded by 12 times.

In the Chinese capital Beijing this week, it was announced that the city had reached its clean air targets for this year with 31 days to spare.