China's most-polluted province has cleaner air in H1

Hebei Province, home to seven of the country's top 10 polluted cities, reported cleaner air in the first half of this year, according to a provincial environmental protection department report released Monday.

The air quality index (AQI) of 83 days, or 45.9 percent of the first half of this year, was below 100, the national standard for fine air. There were only 62 such days in the first half of 2014, according to the report.

The average density of PM 2.5, airborne particles measuring less than 2.5 microns, dropped by 23.3 percent to 79 microgramme per cubic meters during the same period, it said.

The average density of sulfur dioxide dropped by 25.3 percent than the same period last year.

The department attributed the cleaner air to pollution reduction measures, including the closure of small steel manufacturers as well as a reduction of coal consumption.

Hebei produces about a quarter of China's steel. It faces an enormous challenges as its air pollution is a source of public ire locally and in neighbouring regions like Beijing.