Recognized by the World Health Organization as a major concern for global health, 4.2 million fatalities are directly attributed to air pollution. Air pollution causes chronic diseases such as respiratory infections, lung cancer, heart disease, and strokes. Particulate matter (PM), specifically PM2.5 (particles less than 2.5 microns in diameter) presents a great danger to human health, as these small particles can penetrate deep into lungs, entering the bloodstream. The World Health Organization has guidelines that state the annual mean of PM2.5 should not exceed 10 micrograms per cubic meter. However, particulate matter concentrations in China far exceed WHO’s recommended levels. Within China, urban vicinities were reported to have the poorest air quality. During 2017, a study by the Health Effects Institute found that unhealthy levels of PM2.5 led to roughly 852,000 premature deaths in China.
Financial Burden
According to a study researched by the RAND corporation in 2015, health complications and lost labor productivity due to air pollution, reached 6.5 percent of China’s GDP per year between 2000 and 2010. According to another study in 2018 from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, it is estimated that 38 billion dollars of revenue is lost annually due to premature deaths and lost food production as a result of air pollution.
China’s Fight to Improve Air Quality
Fortunately, China is taking the necessary steps needed to improve the air quality. For example, laws, regulations, and emission standards were passed in order to prevent and control air pollution. In addition, China is utilizing technology to combat smog. With these innovative tools, scientists can measure pollutants in different areas and to take more targeted measures.
Sources:
https://news.cgtn.com/news/3d3d674e3245544d35457a6333566d54/index.html
I always thought chinese pollution was a thing but never knew it was this bad. I hope they can take care of it soon.
Thanks for bringing this issue to the forefront. The fact that 852,000 premature deaths were due to pollution just in China is pretty crazy. It’s also important to note that this problem isn’t one that just directly impacts our health right now, but all future generations to come.
I really relate to the quote in the beginning because I feel like every time I go back to China, the sky just becomes more cloudy and you can never see the sun. It’s scary to think that small particles in the air can travel through the bloodstream if people breathe it in, too. I’m glad China has taken the necessary steps to combat this issue, though. Great article!
It’s really unfortunate that fog and air pollution is so prevalent in China, especially in bustling cities. The fact that many medical issues are induced by this problem is sad to think about, but it’s good that China has taken some steps to try and fix this issue. I hope that more actions can be taken to totally eliminate this problem. Thanks for sharing!
This is actually a serious matter and it happens everywhere, but it is specifically interesting to learn that China is at high levels of this problem. Although China is facing this huge problem it’s good to know that they are cutting down and fighting back.
I’ve always known that pollution in China was serious, but I didn’t know that it accounted for approximately a fifth of global deaths attributed to pollution. The massive financial burden is also terrible. I’m glad that China has been shifting towards renewable energy and stricter pollution laws over the past decade.
This is really unfortunate! I was really moved by the quote you included in the beginning of this article. It is terrible that Chinese citizens have become acclimated to such terrible conditions. I’m glad that China is taking steps towards solving this problem, and I hope that this problem can be resolved.
Wow, I knew that China had an air pollution problem, but I never knew that it was that severe. I can’t believe that there were 4.2 million fatalities are directly attributed to air pollution. I really hope their actions on moving to combat the smog will improve Chinese citizens’ living conditions.
Nice article! Your article was very informative, and it’s great that you’re bringing awareness to the air pollution issue in China. I think people tend to overlook how severe it actually is. Not only does it endanger lives in China, but it also contributes to issues worldwide–such as climate change. I hope that the Chinese government and industry can come up with effective solutions to combat this danger. Thanks for sharing!
This was a very informative article. I knew air pollution was a problem in China, but I never knew how bad it had become. It’s good to hear that China is taking steps to improve the air quality.
It’s terrible that there’s so much air pollution but at least they’re making a change. Thank you for writing about this topic and informing me.
中国的空气质量确实存在一定的问题,毕竟14亿人住在那里,但是随着时间的发展,中国的政府在慢慢的管理空气污染的问题,,我希望中国的空气质量可以慢慢变好
Thank you for bringing more attention to the air pollution in China. Whenever I visit China I always have to wear a mask because of how bad the air pollution is, but I’m glad that they are working to improve the situation. I hope that my next visit to China will have much cleaner air.
As someone who used to live in Shanghai, I completely agree with what you are saying. Because of the insane population and thus insane carbon emissions of China, the pollution is very bad. I used to have days where school was closed because of air pollution and many homes have air purifiers. I hope the Chinese government fulfills their promises on curbing these emissions and going more green to improve the quality of life for people in China.
Great article, Natasha. Air pollution is a major problem that cannot be overlooked, since it causes various chronic diseases, including respiratory infections, lung cancer, heart disease, and strokes. The study by the Health Effects Institute that showed that unhealthy levels of PM2.5 led to roughly 852,000 premature deaths in China is very concerning. Nonetheless, it’s reassuring that China is taking measures to alleviate the issue through laws and regulations.
我知道中国的空气很糟糕，但我不知道这太糟糕了！ 希望他们能解决这个问题并保持安全！
I’ve known that pollution in China is bad but I didn’t know that it has caused 850,000 premature deaths. It’s very sad that pollution is destroying people’s way of life but it’s good that China is coming up with laws, regulations, and emission standards to control air pollution.
Very interesting. It’s good that you brought this issue to light. I’ve never been to China, but I’ve seen several videos online before showing the terrible pollution and air issues that citizens of China deal with on a daily basis. I always knew pollution in China was quite bad, but I never just how bad it was until today.
I never knew pollution in China got to the point where 800,000 die each year. It’s good they are coming up with laws to regulate and control pollution. I’ve heard that the pandemic significantly reduced the effects of pollution. Hopefully, this pandemic could serve to provide information on how to reduce pollution in the future.
I’ve always known about the terrible air pollution in China but never really thought much of it since I don’t live there. Now I feel pretty bad knowing about all the illnesses caused by the smog like respiratory infections, lung cancer, heart disease, and strokes. At least now because of the pandemic Chinese citizens have to wear masks which would help them be safer.
Thanks for bringing attention to this significant issue. It’s extremely tragic and unfortunate how this problem continues to negatively impact the lives of Chinese citizens. Even the national GDP’s been affected by air pollution, and 38 billion dollars of revenue are lost, I hope the problem’s solved soon for everyone’s health and benefit.
This article was very interesting to read! I think that this is a very serious problem because of all the health issues that bad air can cause. It is reassuring to see that they do have the means to make the air better for themsevles
Wow! I didn’t realize just how much pollution was going on in China and how badly it could affect our daily lives. It was eye-opening to me that over 4.2 million people die every year because of air pollution globally.
This really surprised me. I always knew that China had lots of air pollution, but I didn’t know that it was this extreme. 4.2 million deaths per year is unbelievable. I am really happy, however, that China is taking a step towards the right direction by trying to control air pollution.
Wow, this is really serious! I knew that CHina’s air pollution was bad after going there and hearing a lot about it but this is on a whole new level. I didn’t know so many people died from it. It’s really great that China is looking to change that though. Really informative article.
Woah, this is an extremely important matter and I’m really glad you’re talking about it. I knew China had a lot of air pollution but I didn’t know it was this horrible. It seems unbelievable. Thank you so much for sharing this.
I’ve been aware of the fact that China produced a lot of air pollution throughout the years. However, I was unaware that there were so many deaths that were connected to the air pollution. It’s good that you are bringing this topic to light and I am glad that I learned more about the side effects of air pollution.
Air pollution is a danger that can indeed affect the lungs. It’s good that China is working on improving air quality to benefit its citizens. The article is very informative and gave me an understanding of situations China is facing to improve.
To my (unsurprised) dismay, I learned that China’s pollution accounted for approximately a fifth of global deaths attributed to pollution. I feel that this coupled with the large financial burden is also very striking. But seeing that China has been shifting towards renewable energy and stricter pollution laws is definitely some much needed reassurance. Thanks for sharing!
Wow, I didn’t realize the situation got worse! I remember doing many projects on air pollution specifically along with climate change around the world. I had read that they were planning to improve conditions for all workers but I guess such plans haven’t gone through yet. Still, it was fascinating to learn more about this topic once again.
I’ve always known and heard about China’s air pollution but I never knew that it got to this extent. This article is astonishing and informative. It’s crazy that 4.2 million fatalities are directly attributed to air pollution. I’m glad that China is taking the necessary steps needed to improve air quality. Great article!
This topic must be talked about much more in the media. The times that I have gone to China were full of air pollution. You could visually see how cloudy the air was. which is very worrying. However, I did not know that it was this bad. It’s very sad that pollution is destroying people’s way of life, so making laws necessary to combat all this pollution is good. Nice article!
Wow thank you for bringing such an important topic into the light. I know that when I visited China last year, the sky was very cloud and some of my classmates even got nosebleeds because they were not use to the poor air conditions. It even crazier to think that the air pollution alone has caused so many premature deaths. It is reassuring to hear that China is gradually switching to renewable energy and stricter laws against air pollution.
I think it is very interesting how china internally handles air pollution. When I went on the chinese exchange trip one of the teachers actually had a lesson on how china was very “green” and that china was a leader in climate change. Therefore I’m not sure how seriously china is taking the situation or if maybe China’s pollution isn’t as horrible to the extent it seems when placed in context with other countries.
It’s really unfortunate the air pollution and smog are affecting not only China but the whole world. As we industrialize more and use up more and more energy, it is now even more important that we use clean and renewable resources as they are the safest for the environment. This health issue that is causing alarming high deaths around the world particularly in china will only worsen if we don’t do anything about it. Many companies such as Tesla and other major tech companies are working to help combat this issue whether it is switching to e-vehicles or the use and implementation of clean energy sources.
Wow this is a really an informative and interesting article which many people do not realize know about. I have not seen a thorough view on the pollution in China and this article brings attention to China’s issue with their pollution and how they should find a way to fix it.
This is so sad, not just because of the pollution but also because I had no idea about this issue. Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention, this article was very informative and engaging. Amazing job!
Thank you for informing me about this sad thing that is happening. I feel really bad especially since China is not the only place struggling with pollution. When I went to China I was immediately able to feel the difference in air quality. It is crazy how many people are subject to this pollution.
I see that China is making big strides in the environment, especially when it comes to air quality and habitat protection. For now, the US seems to fall a bit behind, but I’m sure under president Biden, we should be able to catch up. Speaking of laws, do you also know if China has a social credit ranking system like the one in Black Mirror?
我学到了中国有420万例死亡直接归因于空气污染，空气污染会造成许多慢性疾病，中国正在采取措施改善空气质量
I have heard about particle matter but until reading this article, I never really knew how serious and detrimental it was to the human body. Although the air situation in many of Chinese cities is depressing, I am glad that China is willing to recognize and take action towards its air pollution problem. This is a great article and will inform a lot of people living outside of China who are oblivious to China’s air quality. If you could list a few technologies or innovations to past inventions that China has improved or created to combat air pollution, that would be amazing.
Fog and air pollution are extremely common in China, especially in the country’s major cities. It’s sad to think that it has caused so many medical problems, but it’s encouraging that China has taken measures to address the problem. I’m hoping that further steps can be taken to completely eradicate this problem.