Looking to find one of the least polluted cities in China to get a break from the pollution? Here is a list of the least polluted cities for 2023 with the best air quality in China.
Rankings: Least Polluted Cities in China (2023)
1. Lhasa, Tibet (6.48 μg/m3)
2. Haikou, Hainan (12.44 μg/m3)
3. Shenzhen, Guangdong (15.99 μg/m3)
4. Hegang, Heilongjiang (16.09 μg/m3)
5. Shantou, Guangdong (16.40 μg/m3)
6. Xiamen, Fujian (16.61 μg/m3)
7. Kunming, Yunan (17.37 μg/m3)
8. Fuzhou, Fujian (17.72 μg/m3)
9. Guiyang, Guizhou (17.80 μg/m3)
10. Qiqihar, Heilongjiang (18.69 μg/m3)
Results
Only 1 of the 52 cities (Lhasa, Tibet) analyzed had pollution levels below the recommended limits. Eight of the top ten least polluted cities were located in the south, with Heilongjiang as the lone exception.
How Air Pollution Was Measured
There are various pollutants (both particles and gases) that can be found in the air. One of the most commonly tracked pollutants are very small, fine particles called PM2.5.
These small pollutants are under 2.5 micrograms in width and considered to be one of the more dangerous pollutants due to their ability to enter deep into the lungs and bloodstream.
Recommended limits
The limit that is closely aligned to what studies show about the health effects of pollution is the annual limit of 5 micrograms/m3.
How I protect myself
Step 1: I use cheap, empirically backed air purifiers at home.
While coughing through a Beijing winter, I started building and testing DIY purifiers to help protect my lungs without spending the thousands of dollars a certain large Swiss company is telling me I need to pay.
Smart Air is a certified B Corp committed to combating the myths big companies use to inflate the price of clean air.
Smart Air provides empirically backed, no-nonsense purifiers and masks, that remove the same particles as the big companies for a fraction of the cost. Only corporations benefit when clean air is a luxury.
Step 2: I wear cheap, empirically backed masks outside.
When air pollution became a hot topic in Beijing, I heard lots of people debate whether masks actually work or just provide psychological comfort. The scientific data is very clear on this: many simple masks block over 90% of even the smallest particles, even while people are actually wearing them. Some of these masks cost as little as about 50 cents. Here’s a picture of me fit testing one of those masks.
Step 3: I learned some basic facts about air pollution that I use to make decisions to reduce my exposure.
For example, even without an air purifier, particulate pollution levels indoors are around roughly 50–60% of outdoor levels on average, as long as doors and windows are closed. Thus, I work out indoors, and I almost always sit inside at cafes.
Free Guide to Breathing Safe
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