The Beijing Boncontact Environment Tech Development Co Ltd has introduced European techniques in producing environmental monitoring instruments, a move hailed by experts as an impetus for the country's environmental monitoring industry.

The company's mission is to develop China's own online instruments for the monitoring of water and soot.

The effort is backed by the National Development and Reform Commission and the State Environmental Protection Administration.

Water pollution and air pollution are two heavyweight environmental problems facing China, with many enterprises illegally discharging sewage and poisonous gas directly into water systems and air.

In recent years China has been importing foreign instruments to carry out online water monitoring in some major regions. However, such dependence on foreign instruments has caused remarkable difficulties, officials have indicated.

The State Environmental Protection Administration has been encouraging domestic enterprises to introduce foreign advanced environmental monitoring techniques, hoping that some would develop home-grown products.

Teng Anjiang, an expert with the China National Environmental Monitoring Centre, said the success of the Boncontact company will "definitely push forward the development of the country's environment monitoring industry, which faces a great market demand.''

The Boncontact company, which has long-term co-operation with the French Seres company, introduced the French company's manufacturing techniques for online water and soot monitoring instruments.

It has developed online monitoring instruments that match China's unique needs.

It is expected the cost of the company's products will be 30 per cent lower than imported instruments.

The products have received positive appraisals from environmental officials at the State Environmental Protection Administration and the China National Environmental Monitoring Centre. They inspected production facilities at the company on Friday.