Xinhua - Two-Thirds Of Chinese Cities Cannot Meet New Air Quality Standards
BEIJING, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Wu Xiaoqing, Vice Minister of Environmental Protection, said Friday that two-thirds of China's cities cannot meet recently updated air quality standards, adding that air pollution control will be "an arduous task for the country."
Wu's words came after the State Council, or China's cabinet, on Wednesday passed revised air quality standards that include indices for ozone and PM2.5, or fine particulate matter 2.5 microns or less in diameter.
"Two-thirds of Chinese cities fall short of the new regulation, but this doesn't mean air quality is deteriorating in these cities," Wu said.
The PM10 index was previously used as part of the country's air quality standards before being replaced by the PM2.5 index, which measures fine particles that are considered to be more hazardous to health than larger particles.
EDIT
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90882/7746218.html
