SoylentNews

Phoenix666 [soylentnews.org] writes:

Nearly 300 Chinese cities failed to meet national standards for air quality last year [phys.org], Greenpeace said Wednesday, despite marginal improvements in some of the worst-hit areas.

China's cities are often hit by heavy pollution, blamed on coal-burning by power stations, heavy industry and vehicle use, and it has become a major source of discontent with the ruling Communist Party.

The average level of PM2.5 particulates—small enough to deeply penetrate the lungs—in the 366 cities monitored was more than five times the maximum recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), government data compiled by Greenpeace showed.

Of those monitored—which include all of the nation's major cities—a total of 293, or 80 percent, were higher than China's own looser national standards.

China allows for a yearly average of 35 micrograms per cubic metre, versus the annual WHO standard of 10 micrograms per cubic metre. None of the cities in the survey met WHO standards.

The air in Beijing is brown and smells like burnt soy sauce.

Original Submission