Shenzhen's average PM2.5 density, a key indicator of air pollution, declined to a record low of 24 micrograms per cubic meter last year, meeting the Phase II requirements set by the WHO for particulate matter for the first time since 2006 when the city began to monitor and record, according to a report released by the Shenzhen Municipal Ecology Environment Bureau on Monday.
It placed the city in the top spot in terms of air quality among Pearl River Delta cities and ninth among 168 major cities across the country last year.
The city reported nine hazy days last year, 11 less than in 2018 and the lowest number since 1989.
By the end of 2019, Shenzhen had taken rank among China’s top 10 cities for air quality for seven straight years, becoming the only city in China among the top 20 GDPs with air quality that had reached such a standard in the past five years.
The average density of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, PM10, PM2.5 and carbon monoxide in the air in 2019 met China’s Class 2 small-particle pollution standard.
Under China’s air quality standards, Class 1 applies to special regions (including national parks) and Class 2 applies to all other areas.
Despite the encouraging performance, ozone pollution has increasingly become an issue.
The Shenzhen Blue Sky Sustainable Development Action Plan for 2020 has set a goal to decrease ground-level ozone density.
At present, motor vehicles are still the main source of PM2.5 pollution, accounting for over 30 percent of all pollutants. This year, the city will continue its work to curb the pollution caused by automobiles.
Furthermore, from 2016 to 2018 the city’s carbon emission per unit of GDP dropped by 10.9 percent.