China Claims Air Quality Improves

China Claims Air Quality Improves. Air quality in Beijing, notorious for its smoggy sky, improved during the first six months of 2015, the city government said.

The concentration of PM 2.5 – tiny airborne particles that are particularly harmful to human health – dropped by 15.2 percent from a year earlier to an average of 77.7 micrograms per cubic meter during the first half of the year, the government said, citing data from the municipal environment protection bureau. China Claims Air Quality Improves.

However, that level remains considerably higher than the 10 micrograms per cubic meter annual average considered safe by the World Health Organization.

The city government said the amounts of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and PM 10 particles also decreased. Beijing, alternatively romanized as Peking, is the capital of the People’s Republic of China. It is the world’s most populous capital city, with over 21 million residents within an administrative area of 16,410.5 km². The city, located in Northern China, is governed as a municipality under the direct administration of the State Council with 16 urban, suburban,

Chinese officials have vowed to clean up Beijing’s foul air. Authorities have closed some polluting factories in the region, stepped up law enforcement of polluting industries and limited carbon emissions.

© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.