Harmful ozone pollution worsening in northern China, says study
Traffic congestion a major cause of the pollutant, with concentrations up 40 per cent or more in 10 northern cities, according to university report
Concentrations of hazardous ground-level ozone have worsened in northern China despite countrywide efforts to tackle air pollution, according to a study published by Peking University.
Stringent winter restrictions on industry, transportation and coal consumption enabled smog-prone northern Chinese regions to meet politically crucial air quality targets for the 2013-2017 period.
But while concentrations of hazardous airborne particles known as PM2.5 fell, average daytime ozone levels jumped sharply, according to a study of pollution data in 33 northern cities by Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management and the Centre for Statistical Science.
Also known as “sunburn for the lungs”, ozone is caused by the interaction of sunlight with nitrogen oxides and the vast amounts of uncontrolled volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by burning fossil fuels. Traffic congestion is a major cause.
Ozone is one of six components of China’s official air quality index, along with sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, PM2.5 and larger airborne particles known as PM10.