Meghan Hodges
China is considered the largest developing country in the world, and its rapid industrialization and immense population growth have led to severe environmental degradation and health issues. The country has been battling pollution, particularly air and water pollution, for years, with some improvements. While China's overall particulate pollution average complies with its national standard, it still exceeds the World Health Organization's guidelines, significantly impacting life expectancy. Various other forms of pollution, such as light pollution, soil pollution, and contaminated recyclables, also pose significant challenges to China's environment and public health.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Status of pollution in China | China is considered the largest developing country in the world and has been facing various forms of pollution, including air, water, and soil pollution. |
| Impact of pollution on health | According to the Chinese Ministry of Health, industrial pollution has made cancer the leading cause of death in China. Ambient air pollution kills hundreds of thousands of citizens each year, and about 500 million people lack access to safe drinking water. |
| Life expectancy | In Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, the average person is expected to lose 4.3 years of life expectancy due to pollution. However, China's efforts to reduce pollution since 2014 have resulted in a 2-year increase in the average life expectancy of Chinese citizens. |
| Compliance with standards | While China's overall particulate pollution average complies with its national standard of 35 µg/m³, the pollution levels exceed the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³. |
| Progress in reducing pollution | China has shown progress in reducing pollution since declaring a "war against pollution" in 2014. Pollution levels have decreased by 41% compared to 2013, and the country is increasing its forest cover. |
| Light pollution | Urbanization has significantly impacted wildlife due to light pollution, which was prominent in larger urban cities in the 1990s and continued to rise in the 2000s. |
| Real-time air quality | Real-time air pollution maps are available for China and over 100 other countries. |
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What You'll Learn
Cancer is China's leading cause of death
China is considered the largest developing country in the world, with active economic growth and a huge population. The country has been facing severe environmental degradation, with various forms of pollution increasing following industrialisation, causing widespread environmental and health problems.
According to the Chinese Ministry of Health, industrial pollution has made cancer China's leading cause of death. In 2022, it was estimated that there were 4,824,700 new cancer cases and 2,574,200 cancer-related deaths in China. The top five cancer types, accounting for 57.42% of new cancer cases, were lung, colon-rectum, thyroid, liver, and stomach cancers. The five leading causes of cancer deaths were cancers of the lung, liver, stomach, colon-rectum, and oesophagus, accounting for 67.50% of total cancer deaths.
China's pollution problem has had stark domestic and international repercussions, posing a major long-term burden on the Chinese public and an acute political challenge to the ruling Communist Party. The immense population growth in the People's Republic of China since the 1980s has resulted in increased soil pollution, threatening the environment, food safety, and sustainable agriculture. China's progress in reducing pollution has been remarkable, and if these improvements are sustained, people in China could see their average life expectancy increase by 2 years.
China has implemented various measures to address its pollution problem and mitigate the increasing cancer burden. The Healthy China Action Plan and the Cancer Prevention and Control Action Plan focus on prevention, control, cancer screening, early diagnosis, treatment, and standardisation of protocols. China has also been increasing its forest cover and reducing air and water pollution. Despite these efforts, China still has a long way to go in terms of meeting the World Health Organization's (WHO) guidelines for particulate pollution. Practically all (99.9%) of China's 1.4 billion people live in areas where the annual average particulate pollution level exceeds the WHO guideline.
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China's progress in reducing pollution
China's rapid industrialization has resulted in excessive greenhouse gas emissions, making it the world's top emitter and contributing to its severe environmental crisis. While China's pollution problem has attracted international attention, the country has made notable progress in reducing pollution in recent years.
In 2013, China's Academy for Environmental Planning pledged $277 billion to combat urban air pollution, and the country announced a “war against pollution." As a result, China's fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) has been decreasing since 2014, with pollution levels down by 41% compared to 2013. Average PM2.5 concentrations fell by 33% from 2013 to 2017 in 74 cities, and overall pollution fell by another 10% between 2017 and 2018. Beijing, in particular, experienced a record low of 23 micrograms per cubic meter in August 2019.
China has also addressed financing challenges for renewable energy sources. The World Bank-supported Innovative Financing for Air Pollution Control Program has financed investments in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and emissions control. This program has supported China in reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 2.5 million tons per year, contributing to blue skies in the Jing-Jin-Ji region. Additionally, China has piloted financing mechanisms for rural households to install distributed solar PV systems.
Furthermore, China has taken steps to limit the import of contaminated waste and recyclables through initiatives like the Operation Green Fence program, impacting western waste exporters. While China's recyclables market has caused environmental concerns, the country is actively working to mitigate climate change and reduce pollution.
Despite this progress, challenges remain. China's overall particulate pollution average complies with its national standard of 35 µg/m³, but it still exceeds the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline of 5 µg/m³. As a result, 99.9% of China's population lives in areas where annual average particulate pollution levels exceed WHO guidelines, leading to potential life expectancy reductions. China's carbon emissions continue to threaten global efforts to fight climate change, and environmental degradation endangers economic growth, public health, and government legitimacy.
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Soil pollution and food safety
China is considered the largest developing country in the world, with active economic growth and a huge population. Since the 1980s, the immense population growth in the People's Republic of China has resulted in increased soil pollution. The State Environmental Protection Administration believes it to be a threat to the environment, food safety, and sustainable agriculture.
The usage of chemical inputs, cropland heavy pollution, sewage irrigation, and air pollution are all sources of pollution that affect food safety. The overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides impairs plant metabolism and pollutes crops, and these excessive chemical inputs also enter the soil, water, and air, further aggravating environmental pollution. According to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Ministry of Land Resources, about 19.4% of China's arable land is polluted, with an estimated 10.18% of cropland contaminated by heavy metals, which damages about 13.86% of grain production.
The intake of pollutants via the soil-crop-food chain is the predominant pathway of human exposure to toxic substances. Long-term exposure to heavy metals can cause serious health hazards, such as diarrhea, abortion, hepatitis, and typhoid. Official estimates indicate that China produces 12 million tons of heavy-metal-contaminated grain annually, with an economic cost exceeding $3.2 billion. In addition, a 2006 review of existing data suggested that one-third of Chinese children suffer from elevated serum lead levels.
China's rapid industrialization and urbanization have further exacerbated soil pollution. The country's economic development has led to the contamination of water used for irrigation and land covered or destroyed by solid waste. China has also faced challenges with contaminated recyclables, which have caused environmental concerns and impacted air and water quality. However, China has made improvements in recent years, with a notable decrease in fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) since announcing a war against pollution in 2014. This decline has continued through 2022, and if sustained, could result in a two-year increase in the average life expectancy of Chinese citizens.
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Light pollution in urban cities
China is considered the largest developing country in the world, with active economic growth and a huge population. Since the country's economic reform in 1978, China has sustained economic growth for almost 40 years, becoming the world's second-largest economy in 2014. This rapid economic development and urbanization have, however, led to China facing serious environmental pollution issues.
Light pollution, in particular, has become a universal environmental issue in China. The problem is more pronounced in urban cities, with nearly all of them dominated by an uprising trend in light pollution in the 2000s. The most light-polluted cities include Guangzhou, Dongguan, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Macao, Zhuhai, and Foshan. These cities are located in the Pearl River Delta, forming a stretch zone of light pollution from 1992 to 2012. This stretch zone is more stable than the one in the Yangtze River Delta.
The primary sources of light pollution in Chinese cities include the excessive use of outdoor and street lighting, advertising and commercial signage, architectural lighting without adequate controls, and public and recreational lighting for parks and attractions. Light pollution has various impacts on the environment and human health. Skyglow, for example, affects astronomical observations and disrupts human and wildlife patterns. It reduces night sky visibility, making it challenging to observe stars and other celestial bodies. Artificial lighting along coastlines can disorient Asian horseshoe crabs, leading to a decrease in their population levels. It can also cause trees to produce leaves earlier in the season, impacting the feeding patterns of insects and other wildlife.
China has been taking steps to address its pollution problem. In 2013, the country announced a “war against pollution”, and pollution levels have been decreasing since then. By 2021, China had seen remarkable progress in reducing pollution, with particulate pollution down by 41% compared to 2013. This has led to an increase in the average life expectancy of Chinese citizens.
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Contaminated recyclables and environmental concerns
China's rapid industrialization and urbanization have resulted in various forms of pollution, causing significant environmental and health issues. One notable issue is the problem of contaminated recyclables, which has become a pressing concern.
China's economic growth and industrialization have driven the demand for raw materials, leading to the country becoming a major importer of recyclables. However, this practice has resulted in a significant influx of contaminated recyclables, causing environmental degradation and public health risks. The issue of contaminated recyclables in China has been exacerbated by the low contamination standards and competitive pricing that made the country an attractive destination for waste exporters from developed countries.
In response to the growing problem, China implemented the Green Fence program in 2013, aiming to address waste contamination and smuggling issues. The program had a notable impact, rejecting 61,700 metric tons of contaminated recyclables imports in its first five months. China also introduced the "National Sword" policy in 2018, severely restricting the import of recyclable plastic scrap and disrupting the global plastic scrap trade. These measures reflected China's efforts to address environmental concerns and reduce the negative impact of contaminated recyclables on its ecosystem and public health.
The restrictions on importing recyclables have had a significant ripple effect on the global recycling market. Developed countries, such as those in the European Union and the United States, that previously relied on exporting recyclables to China, have been forced to seek alternative solutions. This has led to a major global shift in the processing of recycled materials, with some waste being diverted to other developing countries, particularly in Southeast Asia. While this diversion may alleviate the immediate challenge, it raises concerns about the proper management of waste in these new destinations, potentially leading to increased plastic pollution in the environment.
The contaminated recyclables issue in China highlights the complex dynamics of global waste management and the need for sustainable solutions. While China's restrictions have been criticized as disruptive, they have also prompted discussions and initiatives to address the underlying issues. Developed countries are now incentivized to improve their domestic recycling infrastructure, enhance sorting processes, and reduce contamination to meet the standards of more discerning buyers. Additionally, there is a growing emphasis on environmentally sound management of waste, sustainable materials management, and the development of innovative solutions to prevent plastic pollution.
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Frequently asked questions
China is considered the largest developing country in the world, and its pollution levels are significantly higher than the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. However, it is not clear whether it is the most polluted country.
China faces various forms of pollution, including air, water, and soil pollution. Light pollution, which affects the quality and health of wildlife, is also significant in China due to urbanization.
China has been fighting a "War against Pollution" since 2014, and has made remarkable progress in reducing pollution levels. The country has also implemented initiatives like the Operation Green Fence program to limit imports of contaminated waste and recyclables.
