As China strives to become an industrial power, its people are paying a heavy price in pollution. Coal burning supplies about ¾ of China’s commercial energy needs. The coal has a high sulfur content, and emission controls are often inadequate. As a result, levels of sulfur dioxide and particulate matter are among the highest in the world. About half of China’s largest cities have SO2 levels above the WHO guidelines. Some cities, such as Lanzhou and Taiyuan, have levels almost 10 times the WHO standard. All but 2 of 82 cities monitored exceeded WHO guidelines for particular matter.
China’s growing fleet of motor vehicles also contributes to air pollution problems. Most vehicles are operated in large cities, and because few have effective emission controls, they contribute heavily to the smog in these cities.
China is beginning to attack the problem by closing heavily polluting factories in some larger metropolitan areas. The Chinese government has also invested in gas and in cleaner, more efficient briquettes as replacements for raw coal as a fuel for domestic cooking and heating.
