Pollution in China is at an alarming rate

China's environmental pollution is alarming, especially water and air quality issues, which directly affect people's lives.

Speaking at a press conference on June 4, Deputy Minister of China's Environmental Protection Li Ganjie said that the environment has generally improved, but the quality of the water is judged to be unfavorable, air quality. in many cities is serious.

Farmers dig ditches to lead water from a polluted stream into the fields.Photos taken in Kunming, Yunnan, March 2013.(Photo: Reuters)

According to the 2013 study, about 9% of water, in 10 of China's river basins, is ranked at level V, the worst level. In nearly 5,000 underground water areas monitored, more than 60% are poor or very poor quality.

For offshore water, only 18.6% of water meets grade IV standards. Water quality in the East China Sea and four of China's seven largest bays are also very poor.

Xinhua quoted Mr. Li as saying, pollution and land degradation caused a decrease in the area of ​​cultivated land in many localities. Nearly 300 million hectares of land, equivalent to 30.7% of China's land area, are being eroded.

Air pollution is a topic of recent interest in China. Only three of the 74 cities monitored were air quality that met the standards in 2013.

Chongqing city in southwest China is covered in thick fog.(Photo: China.org.cn)

In February, air pollution in the capital of Beijing was first classified as a yellow alarm group, the second highest level in the 4-step pollution warning system. Heavy air and dust pollution in many cities causes schools to cancel outdoor classrooms or even close their doors, vehicles must restrict travel.

According to US Environmental Protection Agency data, the concentration of PM 2.5 particles in the air at 300 will be considered very dangerous. Meanwhile, the PM 2.5 concentration recorded in Beijing last week was up to 500.