By tf-lawyer.com On October 22, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment released data regarding the national air quality from January to September 2024, as well as for September alone. According to the report, 85.8% of the days in the first nine months of 2024 saw good air quality across 339 cities at and above the prefecture level, reflecting a 1.6 percentage point increase from the previous year.
What can you tell us about the overall air quality conditions for September?
In September, the average PM2.5 concentration for the 339 cities was 19 micrograms per cubic meter, remaining steady year-on-year. Meanwhile, the average PM10 concentration decreased by 2.8% to 35 micrograms per cubic meter. Ozone (O3) concentrations averaged 134 micrograms per cubic meter, marking a 2.2% decline. Notably, sulfur dioxide (SO2) dropped by 12.5% to 7 micrograms per cubic meter, while nitrogen dioxide (NO2) decreased by 11.8% to 15 micrograms per cubic meter. Carbon monoxide (CO) levels also fell by 12.5% to 0.7 milligrams per cubic meter.
What does the data indicate regarding air quality in September compared to previous months?
The proportion of days with good air quality in September reached 92.8%, an increase of 0.8 percentage points year-on-year. Additionally, severe pollution days were only 0.1%, unchanged from the previous year. Regarding sandstorms, those events accounted for an average of 0.8% of days with exceedances, with severe pollution days at 0.1%.
How did air quality perform over the first nine months of the year?
From January to September, the average PM2.5 concentration was 27 micrograms per cubic meter, a 3.6% drop from the previous year. The PM10 average was 47 micrograms per cubic meter, showing a decrease of 7.8%. Ozone levels held steady at 147 micrograms per cubic meter, while sulfur dioxide remained at 8 micrograms per cubic meter. The NO2 concentration fell by 10% to 18 micrograms per cubic meter, whereas carbon monoxide levels were stable at 1.0 milligrams per cubic meter.
Furthermore, what changes were noted in air quality metrics?
The first nine months of 2024 showed that 85.8% of days had excellent air quality, a 1.6 percentage point increase year-on-year. The proportion of severe pollution days decreased by 0.7 percentage points to 1.1%. Days with exceedances attributable to sandstorms comprised 2.4% of the total, with severe pollution days from these events at 0.6%.
What about air quality in specific regions, such as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area?
In September, the PM2.5 concentration in this region, which includes 2 cities and 36 surrounding cities, averaged 24 micrograms per cubic meter, marking a 22.6% decline from last year. The average number of good air quality days rose to 78.9%, an 11.2 percentage point improvement, with no days classified as severe pollution.
Can you provide insights into air quality trends in Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta region?
In September, the Yangtze River Delta’s 31 cities recorded an average PM2.5 concentration of 18 micrograms per cubic meter, showing an 18.2% decline year-on-year. The average number of good air quality days increased to 92.5%, reflecting a 5.6 percentage point increase. There were no instances of severe pollution or exceedances caused by sandstorms.
Lastly, could we learn more about individual cities’ air quality performances in the first nine months?
Of the 168 key cities, the top 20 cities with the best air quality included Haikou, Lhasa, and Guiyang, while cities like Lanzhou and Zhengzhou ranked among the bottom 20. In terms of PM2.5 concentrations, Lhasa and Haikou emerged as leaders with the lowest levels, whereas cities such as Lanzhou and He’nan faced the highest concentrations. Changes in PM2.5 levels also varied significantly, with cities like Guiyang showing improvement, while others like Lanzhou witnessed declines.
What steps are being taken to further improve air quality moving forward?
As air quality continues to be a significant concern, the focus remains on implementing stricter regulations and promoting green technologies to ensure sustained improvements in air quality across all regions.
