http://www.lenntech.com/FAQ-air-pollution.htm
From this table it can be seen that the six main pollutants adding to the ever increasing air pollution all together result in smog, acidification, eutrophication and add to climate change.
Additionally some of the pollutants have more affects than other pollutants, e.g. NOx affects photochemical smog, acidification, eutrophication and climate change, compared to SO2 which only has affects on winter smog and acidification.
As well as affecting the environment, the air pollution affects have major affects on the population, as numerous health problems, mainly respiratory, and premature deaths result from the pollution problem of smog. For example Pope et al (2002) states that air pollution mainly results in cardiopulmonary and lung cancer mortality.
It can therefore be argued that air pollution causes numerous problems which in turn have additional consequences to both humans and the environment, e.g. the pollutants cause smog and smog causes health problems. So if China wants effects to be reduced, the decrease of initial emissions are the best place to start.
References:
lenntech.com/FAQ-air-pollution.htm. What the pollutants cause. www.lenntech.com/FAQ-air-pollution.htm. Viewed 19th February 2008.
Pope. C., Burnett. R. T., Thun. M. J., Calle. E. E., Krewski. D., Ito. K., and Thurston. G. D. (2002). Lung Cancer, Cardiopulmonary Mortality, and Long-term Exposure to Fine Particulate Air Pollution. The Journal of the American Medical Association. 287. 1132 – 1141.
