Heavily polluted Chinese city to publish PM 2.5 data

Air quality readings in the city of Lanzhou, one of China's most polluted, will be available for public scrutiny in December, according to officials.

The capital city of Gansu Province will conduct a PM (particular matter) 2.5 monitor according to new environmental air quality standards on Dec. 1. The PM 2.5 index measures airborne particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers, which hazardous to people's heath.

The data will be updated on government websites and via television and radio before the end of the year, the head of Lanzhou Environmental Protection Bureau, Pan En, told Xinhua.

The move was widely expected by local residents who have complained of air pollution in the northwestern city. A popular joke in Lanzhou said the air pollution has made the day dark as night and dyed the sparrows to the color of ravens.

"What matters is not the reading itself, but that its publication can at least put pressure on officials to do something to alleviate the pollution," said Pan Jiang, a local citizen.

Experts said on top of terrain and climate factors, Lanzhou's high concentration of petrochemical industries and its winter heating have made the city's air pollution worse.

In a World Health Organization (WHO) survey, published in 2011, the city was named China's worst for air pollution.

Officials said the decision to publicize PM 2.5 data came after the city launched a campaign to tackle air pollution involving 70 billion yuan (11.2 bln U.S. dollars) of investment.

The campaign has seen 363 coal-fired boilers updated to use cleaner gas as fuels, while 130 heavy-polluting factories are required to move out of the city proper within three years.