China launched its first survey on the pollution inside automobiles Saturday, trying to set an industry criterion for the control of such pollution.

The nationwide survey will be conducted by the indoor environment committee and the automobile environment committee under the Engineering Institute League (EIL) of the China Association for Science and Technology.

The survey will first start in Beijing and will later be introduced to other cities.

EIL Chairman Guo Lin said inside-automobile pollution is becoming a serious problem for drivers and passengers' health with the rapid development of the country's auto industry.

Guo said the survey was designed to collect necessary referencedata for the establishment of an industry standard in the control of pollutants in automobiles.

The survey will focus on the test of pollutant thickness inside automobiles including that of formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, dimethylbenzene, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC).

The first stage of the survey in Beijing will mainly cover 3,000 new cars and station wagons with fewer than seven seats purchased during the period from Jan. 1, 2003 to April 1, this year.

Besides, 120 old cars bought between January, 1993 and December, 2002 will also be included into the first-stage survey.

The second stage will be targeted at public traffic tools including taxis, buses, trolley buses, subway trains and light rail trains.

As an activity for the public good, the survey is free and open to all automobile owners.

Automobile owners can apply to the automobile environment committee for the test from Saturday until the end of April.

(Xinhua News Agency March 29, 2004)