China claims Pearl River air pollution fell in 2012

Emission control measures and favorable weather conditions caused the improvement.

A report by the environment department of Guangdong province said the annual concentration levels of poisonous sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone and suspended particulates fell from 5% to 25% in 2012 from the year before. The level of ozone in the region was up 12.5% , however.

The Pearl River Delta region is China’s manufacturing hub. Emissions from Chinese factories in the region, which includes Shenzhen and Guangzhou, have choked Hong Kong residents and put pressure on the Hong Kong government to strengthen efforts to clean up the city’s air.

The report said the photochemical smog pollution in the region has not yet improved. Int noted that the Guangdong and Hong Kong governments will continue to implement emission reduction measures to further improve air quality in the region.

Hong Kong recorded more than twice as many hours of very high roadside pollution in the first quarter compared with the year before. The Environmental Protection Department earlier this month attributed the increase to the comparative abundance of bright sunshine, which it explained was conducive to smog formation.