Air quality worsens slightly in 8 months
Shanghai had a few more polluted days in the first eight months of the year compared with the same period last year though the average concentration of hazardous PM2.5 particles remained at 36 micrograms per cubic meter, the lowest since 2013, the Shanghai Ecology and Environment Bureau said yesterday.
Between January and August, Shanghai had one day less than last year when the air quality was heavily polluted but two more lightly polluted days and one more moderately polluted day than last year. Also, the concentration of ozone had become worse in recent years.
“We are working on controlling the sources of ozone, especially the volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides,” said Shou Ziqi, head of the bureau.
By July, the city’s water quality of more than 80 percent of city’s major rivers and creeks had reached acceptable standards. Only 5 percent were found to be “stinky,” 5.8 percentage points lower than last year.
According to the city’s water affairs bureau, they strive to clean all stinky waters by the end of next year. They will also raise their sewage treatment capacity.
In the seven months, some 160 factories which emitted excessive air pollution have been punished this year. The bureau also said it will issue new industry rules for the integrated circuit and biological medicine industries.
For the city’s greenery and ecological construction, the Shanghai Greenery and Sanitation Administration Bureau said by the end of the year, the green tracks of Shanghai’s outer ring in Puxi will be finished and the number of urban parks is expected to increase to 400 by 2020.