China will build a nation-wide network in the next five years to monitor the impact of air pollution on health of its citizens.
A total of 43 monitoring spots will be set up in 16 provinces and municipalities, frequently engulfed by smog to to facilitate research on air pollutants, the impact on the health of vulnerable groups and to the study related diseases, said Xu Dongqun of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
With funds allocated by the central government, the study will provide reference for preventive efforts to reduce small airborne particles, called PM 2.5, in the country, Xu was quoted by the state-run Xinhua news agency as saying.
Thick and hazardous smog have hit 17 provinces and municipalities with a population of 600 million this year. Beijing has been shrouded in smog for several days during the ongoing seven-day national holiday.
China has recently unveiled a 1.75 trillion-yuan (USD 284.2 billion) plan to tackle air pollution, pledging to improve air quality within five years in order to decrease the number of heavily polluted days in major city clusters.
