Air pollution is one of the leading causes of death around the world. Therefore you may be curious: “What are the most polluted cities in the world?” Smart Air analyzed 2020 air pollution data from 540 major cities in the world to create the 2020 ranking of the “25 Most Polluted Cities in the World”. […]
Tag: China
What Are The Least Polluted Cities in China? (2020)
Looking to find one of the least polluted cities in China to get a break from the pollution? Here is a list of the least polluted cities for 2020 with the best air quality in China. Rankings: Least Polluted Cities in China (2020) 1. Lhasa, Tibet (8.8 ug/m3) 2. Haikou, Hainan (11 ug/m3) 3. Xiamen, […]

What Is The Most Polluted City in China? (2020)
Cities in China have consistently ranked among the most polluted in the world. Just how bad is it? Smart Air analyzed 2020 pollution data from 52 cities in China to find the most polluted cities in in China. Rankings: Most Polluted Cities in China (2020) 1) Anyang, Henan Province (44 ug/m3) 2) Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province […]

China’s Air Quality Improved 9% in 2020, is COVID-19 the Reason?
On paper, China’s “war” on air pollution is still underway. But with COVID-19 disrupting the first half of 2020, has air quality really improved? Smart Air analyzed PM2.5 data for 11 of China’s major cities to get to the bottom of it. The data showed average PM2.5 reduced 9% compared to the first half of […]

COVID-19 Lockdown Leads to PM2.5 Reductions in 11 Out of 12 of China’s Major Cities.
The lockdown caused by the COVID-19 epidemic saw the numbers of trucks and buses on the road reduce by 77% and 36%, respectively. Hundreds of factories were also closed for an extended period of time. Despite Smart Air analysis showing an increase in PM2.5 levels during February, there have been reports that over the period […]

How Many Trees Need to Be Planted to Help to Solve China’s Air Pollution?
Planting trees to solve China’s air pollution would be a very ineffective way. Let me break down the effect of trees into (1) sucking up particulate and (2) giving particles a place to land. 1. How Much Particulate Air Pollution Do Trees Suck Up? Let’s talk about the most commonly talked about pollutant: particulate pollution […]

How’s the Air Quality in Tangshan?
There are reasons to be pessimistic about the air quality in Tangshan. Tangshan is a largely industrial city in Hebei province, which is the industrial heartland of China and one of the most polluted provinces. Tangshan also boasts one of China’s top 10 busiest ports. To get some hard data on this question, […]

Is Beijing or Delhi Air Worse?
Beijing and Delhi often make headlines for air polluted cities, but which city has worse air? I wanted to get some hard numbers on how the two cities’ air quality compare. The Data To do that, I analyzed PM2.5 data from the US Embassies in Delhi and government monitors in Beijing from 2015 to […]

Is China to Blame for Seoul’s Air Pollution?
Air pollution is a serious problem in Seoul, which South Koreans have often blamed China for. Is that fact or a convenient scapegoat? After all, Seoul is a densely populated, developed city that depends on coal power plants. South Korea certainly has its own sources of pollution. To get to the bottom of it, I […]

Is China to Blame for Seoul’s Air Pollution? – Supplemental Data
This article includes supplemental data for the main article “Is China to blame for Seoul’s air pollution?” This supplemental data will show how high and low wind speeds affect the PM2.5 levels. Ultimately, this supplemental article draws the same conclusion as the main article. Does Wind Speed Affect PM2.5? What if particulate matter can […]
