Beijing will take 16 years to attain safe air quality

Beijing's fine-particulate pollutant intensity is expected to drop to the internationally recognised safe level in 16 years, environmental authorities said.

Pan Tao, head of the Beijing Municipal Research Institute of Environmental Protection, said the concentration of 2.5 particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrograms or less per cubic metre -- is likely to be reduced regularly to less than 35 micrograms per cubic metre by 2030, China Daily reported Wednesday.

"Improving air quality in the city is not going to be an easy task," Pan was quoted as saying.

He was attending the 2014 Beijing International Academic Symposium on Urban Environment Tuesday.

"It takes time and effort to turn the ship around," Pan added.

The WHO has set the standard that the concentration of PM2.5 should not be greater than 35 micrograms per cubic metre.

Air quality with a higher intensity is considered unhealthy, especially for the old and young, and those with heart and lung problems, the report said.

The Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau said that the intensity of PM 2.5 in 2013 was 89.5 micrograms per cubic metre -- still two and a half times above the standard.