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China's Air Pollution in Two Charts

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If you pay attention to the news, you're well aware of China's air pollution problem. It seems to be getting exponentially worse lately, with residents even lining up for bags of fresh air from the mountains.

But until you sit down and compare the air quality in China to that of other industrialized countries, you don't realize just how grave the situation is. For example, take a look at this chart, by Steven Andrews for China Dialogue via ChinaFile, which compares China's official classifications for "good" air conditions with those of the U.S. and Europe:

As you can see, in the U.S., air with a PM2.5 concentration of more than 35.4 is considered "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups." Meanwhile, the same quality air receives a "Good" rating in China. According to the Atlantic, Shanghai reached an air quality rating of 600+ last winter, and "no one now alive has experienced anything comparable in North America or Europe, except in the middle of a forest fire or a volcanic eruption." Wow.

This graphic from the Washington Post compares China's top 10 most-polluted cities with America's:

The United States' most polluted city -- Bakersfield, California -- doesn't even come close to being as polluted as Zhengzhou, the 10th most polluted city in China. These numbers are terrifying!

Do the charts help explain why China's air pollution is such a huge issue? I sure think so.


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