China should raise air quality standards as persistent smog continues to have a severe public health impact despite recent improvements, a state-funded task force said.
After a campaign launched in 2013 to tackle smog, air pollution in China has improved markedly. Average concentrations of small, hazardous airborne particles known as PM2.5 fell by about half from 2015 levels to 30 micrograms per cubic metre last year, official data shows.
"The acute health risk of ambient PM2.5 pollution usually means that short-term exposure to PM2.5... may cause acute damage to the body, trigger the onset of symptoms or diseases and lead to premature death and a series of adverse health effects," it said in a report. It urged the government to further promote clean energy, upgrade industries and control transportation pollution, adding that China's goal of carbon neutrality was a crucial part of its efforts to meet WHO recommendations.
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