The average density of PM2.5 in seven provincial-level regions in north China decreased by 11.3 percent year-on-year in the first nine months of the year.

The average PM2.5 reading in the cities of Beijing and Tianjin; the provinces of Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong, Henan; and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region was 55 micrograms per cubic meter, a work group set up to coordinate pollution control announced Thursday.

Over the past three quarters, the regions reduced burned coal by 15 million tonnes, and decommissioned 783,000 old and heavily-polluting vehicles. In addition, they cut 26 million tonnes of obsolete steel capacity and 7.75 million tonnes of concrete capacity, said Zhang Gong, head of the work group.

As winter is coming and the national central heating will be turned on, a key task in the fourth quarter and the first quarter next year will be controlling the use of burned coal, according to Zhang.

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