Heavy Pollution Makes Life Miserable For Residents Of Chinese Province

Development for China seems to be coming at a terrible cost for its citizens. Life is steadily deteriorating in south China's Guangdong Province, bordering Hong Kong.

Development for China seems to be coming at a terrible cost for its citizens.

Life is steadily deteriorating in south China's Guangdong Province, bordering Hong Kong. More than 41 percent of the people in the Pearl River Delta in the region have felt sick or uncomfortable this year because of the region's heavy pollution, a recent survey found.

Urbanization And Rising Respiratory Problems
Urbanization is not bad altogether. Undertaking the correct approaches during urban planning can avoid most of the environmental problems associated with it.

   Most suffer from diseases like cough, sore throat and upper respiratory infections, or feel agitated, depressed or can't sleep.

   The survey, conducted by the Guangdong provincial social research and study center early this month, interviewed more than 2,000 residents in nine Pearl River Delta cities.

    An official from the center said the province's environment and ecology have been sacrificed to achieve rapid economic growth.

The Lungs
The lungs are our organs of respiration. It is within these, that exchange of gases takes place.

The Pearl River, the second largest in flow capacity in China, has been seriously polluted by industrial discharges along the river.

More than one-fourth of the residents do not dare to drink local tap water.

South China too catching up with Beijing in air pollution
The air quality of south China's Guangdong Province, bordering Hong Kong, is also steadily deteriorating.

Air pollution is also a serious concern for residents.

It may also be noted that cities in Guangdong experienced an average of more than 75 hazy days last year, a record high since 1949. Guangzhou experienced more than 110 hazy days last year.

    "The growing number of hazy days has resulted in a big increase in lung cancer patients in Guangzhou over the past years," said Xie Qiang, associate professor from the Guangdong armed police force hospital.

    While the number of residents who smoke did not witness a sharp increase, the city's lung cancer patients reached 38 of every 100,000 people, doubling the figure recorded a decade ago, or seven times the number at the end of the 1970s, Xie said.

    Haze is usually caused by suspended particles in the air that reduce visibility. It is often a mixture of aerosols and photochemical smog.

    Wu Dui, a researcher from the Guangzhou Institute of Tropical Oceanic Meteorology, said industrial and vehicle emissions are the main culprits causing haze.

    Wang Wenhua, a local white-collar worker, said air and water pollution have become worse due to the rapid economic growth in Guangzhou in recent years.

    She hoped relevant departments could take effective and concrete steps to improve the city's environment, Xinhua reported.

Source-Medindia
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