Beijing Says Pollution Lessened In 2015 Despite Smog Alerts

Environmental authorities in Beijing say that air quality improved in 2015, the year in which first issued two warnings town red smog and showed a great desire to disrupt the industry and ordinary people in search of fresh air,



China is that national and local targets for the reduction of air pollution known as citizens become aware of the health hazards. Beijing municipal government will replace coal-fired boilers with natural gas facilities run and older, more polluting vehicles off the road, and the closure or relocation of factories that the average concentration of PM2.5 heavy polluters.The town - small inhaled particles that can penetrate deep in the lungs and is considered a reliable indicator of air quality - is 81 micrograms per cubic meter in 2015. This dropped from six in 2014 and 10 fewer in 2013 when Beijing started to data PM2 .5.The 'days of the most severe publish PM2.5 pollution falls every year, 'Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau of the capital, said Monday.It, however, is more than twice the desired level of 35 micrograms per cubic meter, and seven times more than the annual average of 10, the World Health Organization China gives a guideline for the safe air.Other also declined pollutants, including sulfur dioxide and nitrogen 38-12 percent. Ministry of environment due to the reduction of sulfur dioxide from the air on dates with coal for heating systems.Beijing is especially bad in winter when burning coal for heating in northern China rises and weather patterns add smog. Almost half of the worst air days were in the past two months, according bureau.Beijing environmental problem the first two red signals in December to a two-year system. This meant that half of the vehicles in the city have been ordered off the road for a particular day, the factory production was limited and schools are closed.In March last year, lowers the threshold needed for a red alert the planned 72 hours of continuous heavy pollution 'trigger - Quality Chinese reading of the index of the air more than 300 - for' highly polluted 'or read 200.' Before the start of the campaign, the greater the reduction in emissions, 'said city officials in time.The two red signal occurred because the low threshold and a greater willingness on the part of authorities to issue, Ma said June non-governmental Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs Beijing.I think before there is any reluctance to do so, because it is a big challenge to organize this and have a high social and economic costs, 'said Ma. 'There is a change in mentality.