The country's 35 major cities and municipalities will release detailed analysis of sources of PM2.5 - fine pollutant particles found in the air - by the end of this year to help create more effective ways of curbing air pollution.
The average density of PM2.5 - airborne particles smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter that can penetrate the lungs and harm health - is expected to decrease by 5 percent in Beijing next year due to continuing efforts such as controlling coal burning and vehicles' discharge of pollutants, Mayor Wang Anshun said on Wednesday while delivering a report on Beijing's economic and social development for this year.
PM2.5, fine particles smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter, is considered extremely hazardous to health as they travel deeper into the lungs than larger particles in the air. A total of 1.82 billion yuan ($291 million) has been invested to set up the air-quality monitoring stations nationwide, Wan added, with the selection of stations mainly based on population and urban sizes.
In Beijing and surrounding areas, PM 2.5 should fall by about 25 percent from 2012 levels by 2017, according to government plans. With a population of more than 20 million, Beijing has been plagued by smog in the past few years due to industrial pollution and vehicle exhaust.
