While air and water quality across China has improved on the whole, major cities still lag behind national standards, reports thepaper. The findings are based on the China Eco-environmental Status Bulletin of 2017, an annual publication by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment that was released on May 31.
In 2017, across the 338 included cities, the average concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 were 43 micrograms per cubic metre (μg/m3) and 75 μg/m3 respectively. This was higher than air quality standards, which mandate that PM2.5 not exceed 35 μg/m3, and PM10 not exceed 70 μg/m3. The high average concentration of pollutants is the result of air quality in 70% of the cities – 239 of the 338 – not meeting the standards. China’s national standards for air quality are not as strict as those recommended by the World Health Organization, which considers an annual PM2.5 concentration over 10 μg/m3 to be unhealthy.
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