With sulfur dioxide emissions rising more than 25 percent since the turn of the decade, acid rain hit areas in northern China have been rapidly expanding, a source with the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) said in Beijing Thursday.

"Even Beijing, a previously acid rain-free area, was among the worst-hit areas this year," said Zhou Heng, deputy director with CMA's monitoring network office.

The CMA says 80 percent of rainy days in Beijing were what it calls "acid rain days" in August this year.

Areas in the south China have also seen more frequent and serious contamination since 2003, according to Zhou.

Acid rain has hit regions running from the northeast of China to the southwest.

Experts attribute the increase in acid rain in China to increased emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide since 2003.

China is the world's biggest sulfur dioxide polluter, with 25.49 million tons of sulfur dioxide discharged in 2005. The amount is up an alarming 27 percent over the 2000 figure.

(Xinhua News Agency November 3, 2006)