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SHANGHAI— Not a single nation managed to satisfy the World Well being Group’s (WHO) air high quality normal in 2021, a survey of air pollution information in 6,475 cities confirmed on Tuesday, and smog even rebounded in some areas after a COVID-related dip.
The WHO recommends that common annual readings of small and unsafe airborne particles generally known as PM2.5 ought to be not more than 5 micrograms per cubic meter after altering its pointers final yr, saying that even low concentrations brought on vital well being dangers.
However solely 3.4% of the surveyed cities met the usual in 2021, in response to information complied by IQAir, a Swiss air pollution expertise firm that displays air high quality. As many as 93 cities noticed PM2.5 ranges at 10 instances the beneficial stage.
“There are lots of nations which might be making massive strides in discount,” mentioned Christi Schroeder, air high quality science supervisor with IQAir. “China began with some very massive numbers and they’re persevering with to lower over time. However there are additionally locations on the planet the place it’s getting considerably worse.”
India’s general air pollution ranges worsened in 2021 and New Delhi remained the world’s most polluted capital, the information confirmed. Bangladesh was probably the most polluted nation, additionally unchanged from the earlier yr, whereas Chad ranked second after the African nation’s information was included for the primary time.
China, which has been waging warfare on air pollution since 2014, fell to twenty second within the PM2.5 rankings in 2021, down from 14th place a yr earlier, with common readings enhancing barely over the yr to 32.6 micrograms, IQAir mentioned.
Hotan within the northwestern area of Xinjiang was China’s worst performing metropolis, with common PM2.5 readings of greater than 100 micrograms, largely brought on by sandstorms.
It fell to 3rd on the record of the world’s most polluted cities after being overtaken by Bhiwadi and Ghaziabad, each in India.
—Reporting by David Stanway; Enhancing by Christian Schmollinger
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