A synthetic running track is dug up at a school in Beijing last week. WEI TONG/CHINA DAILY

Pilot regional guideline implemented

Last month, the education commission of Shenzhen, Guangdong province, implemented a new set of standards to cover the bidding process, raw material production, installation and post-construction testing of synthetic sports fields.

It was the first time a city in China had imposed a regional rule related to the issue that is tougher than the current national guidelines.

The new rule came in response to a government investigation which discovered that 11 schools in the city used low-quality facilities that contained excessive toxic chemicals. Three of the 11 sites have now been dug up.

According to the Shenzhen Institute of Building Research, which jointly drafted the standards, the new guideline has added seven categories to its national counterpart, including quality control of chemicals in raw materials, post-construction testing and project supervision.

"However, this is a trial measure that we have to implement before the new national standards to guarantee students' health. The guideline took notice of similar rules overseas and should be updated regularly, given the rising use of new, potentially toxic, materials," said Ren Jun, the institute's chief engineer.